How to run a business people want to work for

To run a company that feels like one big happy family – it’s the Holy Grail for a lot of business owners, right? A workplace that adopts a family approach to business means they’re emphasising trust and values – a culture that’s transparent, encourages opinions and celebrates opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to work in a place like that?!

Here at Roger Lewis, we’re not saying we’re perfect (do you know a family that is??). But we have a great team and want to work hard to improve our relationships.  Like workplaces, every family unit is different – varying rules, styles, traditions (don’t even get us started on our own Christmas Day traditions!) – but these define what makes each family so special; so long as the core values of respect, support and love are there.

Having been in business for almost 30 years, we’ve started to work out just some of the elements that make the RL family stronger and stronger each year. Here goes…

Roger and his son Nick

Roger and his son Nick

Support

Supporting our employees means more than just a pat on the back from time to time! Support can be shown by giving staff more control over their time and their work, encouraging flexibility and inclusiveness, listening to suggestions and opinions and being transparent and upfront with them. Our staff aren’t cogs in a productivity machine – they’re individuals with individual needs, and this means communicating with them and supporting them on a personal level.

Trust

Support and trust go hand in hand, and trust works both ways – when employees feel you’ve put your trust in them, they will produce some of their best work – it’s a win-win. We’re lucky in that we trust each and every one of our team members – some of whom have been with us for decades! We like to think this trust is reciprocated.

Camaraderie

We certainly don’t lack in camaraderie and teamwork here at the RL HQ. Just walk into the factory and the abuse and banter will start. We know how important it is to feel comfortable in your place of work – employees who work in a space full of laughter and friendship are less stressed and more creative, which naturally leads to increased productivity and innovation.

Future Plans 

Communicating a company’s vision will cultivate a culture of winning. When you have clear plans laid out for both the business and its employees, you’re getting staff excited and inspired about the future of your growing company and the role they play within it. As you can tell from our previous Journal Entry, we have plenty of visions for the future of Roger Lewis!

A Family Dog

Our black Labrador Lennox (#LenLenRL) is there to greet new visitors and team members alike. He has his own bed and cushion in the office and pads around the showroom making sure he is available for a cuddle or to be patted, whether you want it or not!

LenLenRL

Our black Labrador Lennox

You don’t need to have a bottomless budget pot or flashy perks to create a family culture – just communicate your vision, be authentic and truly care about your staff. Ultimately, you want to create a company that you would want to be part of. We feel very lucky to be part of ours and every day we want to find ways to make it better!

As always, if you’d like to say hi or pick our brains on how we could collaborate, get in touch at cs@rogerlewis.uk. Like we say, our doors are always open.

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