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Most business owners would agree that company cultures are as different as the companies they reflect. Yet, as different as they are, a culture becomes the driving force that gets “things” done. It bonds employees, leaves an impression on customers, and ultimately helps determine long-term success or failure.

“My ideal company culture is one in which team members act like owners, without having the risk associated with ownership,” says Connie Balint, CLP, owner of Buckingham Greenery in Buckingham, Virginia. “Our company culture is not to that stage yet, but we are striving to get there.” She explains how.

“A culture originates from the owner’s vision. Our vision is to have a company that grows like a healthy plant. We want it to have strong roots and growth that is predicated on timely cultivation and fertilization. The healthy plant in our vision statement happens to be a palm tree, and its roots are grounded in our passion for the industry, an industry in which we are caretakers of green, living plants that produce the very oxygen we breathe.”

She continues, “One of our goals has always been to convey this passion to our team members and then to grow these employees by symbolically fertilizing and cultivating them with training, education, and giving them responsibility.”

Having passion for what you do is essential to developing a healthy company culture, Balint emphasizes, noting that it likely is the essential element to success no matter what line of work you happen to be in. Owners who love what they are doing usually carry a positive attitude and a sharp focus to work, and they are upbeat even in the face of adversity. Employees are naturally empathetic to an owner’s attitude and will follow along. Says Balint, “I am reminded every so often about a line in a poem by Helen Keller. It reads, ‘Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.’ If owners can convey this attitude, I believe they have gone a long way toward creating a very positive company culture.”

Of course, attitude alone will not shape a culture. Balint actively shapes her company culture by providing training and career opportunities and by giving team members responsibility and the opportunity to make mistakes. As she notes, “How else can you learn and grow if you don’t have an opportunity to make decisions and mistakes?” She adds quickly, of course, that making the same mistakes over and over again would not be the ideal scenario.

She creates other culture-defining moments as well, including holding brainstorming sessions. “We do a lot of brainstorming as a team,” Balint emphasizes. “I want a culture where I get feedback, and I want team members to understand that every idea is possible even though we may not be able to implement every one of them. We have 38 team members, and when you get them working together on an idea, it becomes a powerful catalyst to generate more ideas. As a company owner, that is what you want. You want people who are not afraid to think and act and who work toward a common goal.”

Having a fun work environment is another dynamic to Buckingham Greenery’s culture. Balint also reminds team members how important it is to work hard and be professional at all times. “We want to create an environment that is enjoyable, positive, and productive,” she says. “I believe that it can all be possible.”

The proof is in the numbers for Balint’s operation. Her company is in its 21st year of doing business, and she has team members who have been with her 10, 11, 13, 16, and 18 years. She has customers with similar longevity. Best of all, she still loves what she does. “I think we can all agree that a company culture is a direct reflection of ownership,” says Balint. “If owners have a passion for what they do and they can transfer that passion and desire to team members, then they are well on their way to creating a positive company culture.” The challenge, she adds, is to impart that feeling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen naturally, like osmosis in a plant. Attitude gets owners part way there; the rest comes through action — through giving excellent training, providing experience, and empowering people.

6/04

By Rod Dickens, ALCA Contributing Writer