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Today's advice comes from a New York Times interview with Robert L. Johnson, founder of BET and RLJ Companies:
"If you really want to build something that’s going to be around for a very long time and be stable and grow, culture has to be paramount. People have to know how your culture operates and works." From the beginning, it's vital to make sure your entire staff understands your vision. After all, a collective push toward that same goal is the only way any business can thrive. Establishing boundaries and an intra-office identity for your workers to follow is the best way to boost their confidence in the company and keep it functional, says Johnson, the first black billionaire. That fosters a shared understanding of the organization's direction, which helps staffers understand how to meaningfully contribute. Johnson says that office culture is so important, that he would sooner let a high-performing employee go than allow him or her to skirt around those mandates. That said, he's not militant. A little bit of deviation here and there within his investment firm is healthy — but as a manager, he keeps that in check. In his own company, Johnson ensures the culture is one that prizes free thinking and an open flow of ideas, as well as an intolerance for angry outbursts. And that's what he says his company's innovation is rooted in. "At the end of the day, people make up companies. And if the culture allows for a lot of interaction and a lot of free-flowing ideas ... that company will be more innovative." Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email. Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook. |
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