Jeff Ales is a distinguished operations and sales leader and the general manager of Legacy Service Solutions, LLC, where he oversees sales, marketing, project management, and estimating across Northern Michigan, the Detroit metro area, and Ohio. With 15+ years of experience, he has driven a 500 percent annual increase in regional sales volume and built high-performing teams. His background spans hospitality—where he transformed Tuckers of Northport with creative menus and stronger team cohesion—and healthcare, where at Reliant Supply Group/Legacy GPO he implemented cost-saving group purchasing solutions serving 4,100 hospitals and 200,000 alternate care sites and negotiated pivotal domestic and international supplier contracts. Ales is known for quality-focused, growth-oriented solutions and a forward-thinking leadership style that strengthens culture and outcomes.
Corporate culture is the shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that guide an organization’s operations. It goes beyond financial compensation, encompassing other aspects that enhance employee fulfillment, well-being, and growth. No matter how prestigious the titles are, a toxic workplace leads to poor productivity and a bad reputation.
Brands have a distinct personality. It's how you attract a particular kind of talent and clientele. Policies and practices should reflect your company’s identity. For example, if your organization is remote-first, collaboration approaches and meetings should reflect that reality.
A good place to start shaping your brand identity is to establish core values. They act as a compass, guiding behavior, expectations, and decision-making. Core values include open communication, respect, and integrity. Core values should not only bring you closer to your corporate goals but also bring employees closer to each other.
Employees come and go, but work culture is permanent. That’s why hiring for attitude, values, and behavior is just as important as hiring for skill and talent. Given how hard it is to train a hire to have the right attitude or share your values compared to upskilling, you may want to prioritize the former when hiring.
Burnout can strip even the most devoted employees of morale. It leads to a lack of loyalty, resulting in a high turnover. As such, investing in employee well-being is one of the non-negotiables for cultivating a positive work culture. Reassess workload to ensure it’s challenging without leading to burnout. Also, consider lowering expectations or hiring more employees.
Employees want to be recognized for their input. If you only reward, say, the sales team and neglect the people who contributed to the sale, such as product and marketing designers, you’re hurting your culture. It makes them feel undervalued. It can also encourage unfriendly competition, which can be toxic. Acknowledge and reward all employees for their input.
One of the factors candidates consider in a potential employer is the opportunity for career growth. Nobody wants to feel like they’re stagnant. It breeds resentment and apathy. Provide employees with opportunities to upskill and advance career-wise. For example, organize workshops, training, coaching, and mentorship. Instead of looking outside for expertise, consider promoting from within.
Although leadership hierarchy is necessary for guidance and accountability, an overly strict or rigid structure can stifle autonomy. It gives way to micromanagement, which stifles creativity. Aim for a productive balance, where employees feel they have creative control over their work and, at the same time, know that they are expected to deliver. It empowers employees to make mistakes and take ownership of them.
Speaking of delivery and expectations, output will vary, even from equally talented employees. Recognizing this and navigating relationships with such employees can be the difference between a positive work culture and a toxic one. Foster fairness and avoid unfair treatment, favoritism, or publicly criticizing employees.
Today’s employees are empowered. They expect more and will readily and openly discuss the culture at their workplace. Companies that are intentional about their corporate culture thrive. That demands going beyond having a vision and mission statement, listing core values, and best practices. It requires demonstration through recognizing and rewarding positive behaviors.