The value of building pride in the workplace

When it’s present at work, it inspires individuals and teams to achieve more, communicate better, and build upon each other’s strengths. When it’s not present, it can get ugly. Really ugly. I’m talking about the often abstract yet extremely powerful feeling of “pride.”

Pride is a funny thing. It’s personal and often acts as a sort of currency in relationships. For example, if you care for and truly trust the person you’re working with, you’re naturally inclined to dish out more pride in what you do.

You’ll go that extra mile – just because it’s them.

But what do the inner makings of pride look like in a company’s culture and how do the Best Companies foster it? While reading about the companies named on the 2011 Best Small and Medium Workplaces list, which will be published on October 18^th on entrepreneur.com, you can’t help but be struck by the pride employees show while working for a great workplace.

Best companies get it right, right from the start. They introduce newbies to their culture through a variety of immersion programs and dedicated training, paving the way for clear expectations and two-way communication. These exchanges set the stage for building employee pride through creating trust.

This year’s Best have created programs that form the foundation of great relationships: from collaborative lunches, cross-team introductions and tours, to all-day seminars equipping new employees with what they need to be successful. At some companies, even employees’ families are welcomed into the workplace “family” by being included in communiqués and activities geared to demonstrate the caring nature of the culture. Imagine your new company sending a welcome message to your loved ones. Now that’s something to be proud of!

Another trend worth noting from this year’s list-making Best is Management’s drive to provide employees with real examples of how their work impacts their clients and the community. This we see achieved through a program as simple as sharing candid thank you letters from happy clients or contributing to a local charitable cause. Employees can be proud that their work goes beyond their daily tasks and a proud employee is a happy one.

While there’s no single recipe that will ensure that each and every one of your employees beam with pride – you can be certain that creating a culture based on trust is a solid step in the right direction.

Kelly Tobin