I chose my own fate. I drove by the fork in the road and went straight.

These are fitted hats that all of our employees receive!

Every day is full of surprises here in East Harlem and today we received a visit from my father-in-law. He has been instrumental to our growth and came to see how our operation is progressing. I introduced him to the newest member of the Crucial Vacuum Family – employee number five! Following the introduction, his immediate observation was “everyone is having a good time and laughing.” I chuckled to myself and said “we are a killer team here.”

His observation is an important one though. It’s more than just laughing that he noticed. There’s something about the team environment here that is unique. We have team spirit that everyone embraces. Everyone feels a part of the company in a big way. That’s because it is true, where each person has a important and impactful role in the company. Every action they make has a direct impact to the business. From day one, I let each employee know that it’s not just my business, it’s OUR business. I constantly reinforce this concept and want everyone to take a deep interest and really be part of the company the way I am.

Here are 3 tangible and actionable tactics that can inspire you to make your internal brand resonate with employees, become a part of your employees life and help you create a killer team culture.

-    Mentoring – Upon being hired, each team member is encouraged to share their top 5 goals that they would like to accomplish. While the company has goals and priorities, so do the team members. If they are helping CV attain its goals, it’s important that their needs are met as well. Team member’s goals range broadly from starting a business, to learning a new language to better fiscal management. Regardless of what it is, the company is here to help and we would love to be included in the process. It’s also really helpful to know what each employee’s mission or objectives are in life and what will contribute to each person’s happiness.

-    Friday Morning Team Meetings –We have a group discussion about the past week every Friday Morning. Each employee is encouraged to find their voice and let it be heard during the meeting. This always includes what went well during the week and what could be better. We develop an action plan and execute it the following week. Some of the best ideas and solutions have come out of these meetings. Touching base definitely helps the morale and of course, coffee and breakfast helps too!

-    Once-A-Month Team Outings – Getting to know everyone at CV and having fun with them has been awesome. To name a few ideas, we’ve played pool, grabbed breakfast together at IHOP and have had a company barbecue. If a team outing happens more frequently, it’s even better in my opinion.

Our workplace culture is a constant evolutionary process that needs to be massaged and loved. It’s a lot like a plant – it needs to be watered or it will die. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very green to the HR role and it’s a constant learning process for me. The human relations aspect of running a business is one of those elements I overlooked when starting this business. I am getting the hang of it though.

Nevertheless, I’ve built a killer team environment here where everyone contributes to the overall success of the company. I’ve implemented the above in the past couple months and it’s been instrumental to the growth spurt we have experienced. It can only happen if you also hire the right people that fit in with the team culture you are trying to create.

Can you think of any other ways to build a killer team?

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