A Strong Culture Brings Out the Best

A Strong Culture Brings Out the Best for the person, company, and customer

Many companies are enamored with the word culture yet few fully understand what it is.  Some believe culture is employee volunteerism. Others believe it’s about team meetings and company offsites.  While others think coffee bars, exercise classes, and generous amounts of time-off define culture. The word culture carries many different connotations.

Culture is intentionally creating an environment that allows each individual team member to be their best – 24 hours a day.  A thriving culture is great for the person, the company, and the customer. For me, a great culture allows flexible hours, maximizes my skill set, nurtures my career/sweet spot through training and feedback, and supports my volunteer efforts.

Culture doesn’t just happen during traditional work hours, but it is developed while I’m volunteering with coworkers, as I’m working late or on a weekend, and during offsite gatherings. So, when a team of seven women from DISHER and YanFang signed up for the Habitat Women’s Build, it was a natural extension of our culture here at DISHER.  The build was an intentional time to give back to others to make this world a better place and also get to know some of my DISHER peers.

Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week is an annual week-long event created by Habitat’s Women Build program in partnership with Lowe’s.  It brings to light the challenges that women face in homeownership.  The Habitat build was for a very special family – a family that works hard and is raising beautiful children.  What an opportunity to share some hours to make their lives whole again, moving them into a new home after living in insecurity for too long.

Our team spent approximately 40-hours of time at this project in one day.  A big commitment by DISHER and a solid reflection of our culture. Within a day, I’m quite certain, we were no further ahead or behind in our business work than we would have been if we hadn’t spent that time blessing a family in need.

My encouragement to anyone reading this is that you jump in and become the culture that works for you and your team.  It won’t look the same for each company and that’s okay.  A healthy company culture is what makes you and your team the best they can be regardless of what you are doing.

If you want to read more about the Habitat for Humanity National Women Build week, visit their website.

If you would like to learn more about Building a Culture that Thrives, attend a complementary DISHER culture tour at our headquarters in Zeeland, Michigan.

Written By: Vicki Zylstra, Project Manager
Vicki holds a degree in Sales and Marketing and has over 20 year experience in project management and client services that span a wide variety of industries – including furniture, automotive, consumer products and residential homebuilding. She enjoys her girls’ sporting events, family vacations, gardening and her morning coffee.