You're torn between short-term profits and a welcoming workplace. How do you find the balance?

The question is, is the vision long term success or short gains? You should never sacrifice your culture for short term gains as a great culture is the foundation for success over the long term.

Equilibrar lucros de curto prazo e a construção de um local de trabalho acolhedor é um desafio constante, mas não impossível. O primeiro passo é reconhecer que esses dois objetivos não são mutuamente exclusivos. Criar um ambiente onde os colaboradores se sintam valorizados e apoiados pode, na verdade, impulsionar os resultados financeiros, através do aumento da produtividade, retenção de talentos e inovação. O segredo está em alinhar a cultura organizacional com as metas de negócios, adotando uma visão de longo prazo que incorpora o bem-estar e o crescimento dos funcionários como parte da estratégia de sucesso.

Balancing short-term profits with creating a welcoming workplace is an ongoing challenge, but not an impossible one. The first step is to recognize that these two goals are not mutually exclusive. Building an environment where employees feel valued and supported can actually drive financial results through increased productivity, talent retention, and innovation. The key is to align organizational culture with business goals, adopting a long-term vision that incorporates employee well-being and growth as part of the success strategy.

Our team has always chosen to focus on culture, starting small and then building on a strong foundation to scale up when its feasible. For us it meant introducing flexible work schedules to start - an adjustment that didn’t break the bank but had a huge impact on morale. Soon after, employee retention & engagement improved, and we saw a boost in productivity. It wasn’t about sacrificing profits; it was about seeing culture as an investment. The return is a happier, more engaged team that ultimately drives better financial results. Prioritizing people pays off.

Aligning goals is like steering a ship in the right direction. Your financial objectives (destination) should be in harmony with your company's cultural values (compass). Success metrics that focus solely on revenue might lead you astray if you neglect employee engagement. By considering employee satisfaction alongside financial targets, you'll ensure your ship sails smoothly towards a sustainable and fulfilling destination. As a Bonus Tip: Regularly check in with your team to see if their personal values align with the company's goals. This ensures everyone is pulling in the same direction and prevents any company failures due to misaligned goals.

Motivation and buy-in inherently come from context. By clearly discussing not only company goals, but progress toward those goals (as well as outcomes if not hit), you invite your team to be a part of the solution. Sometimes that means a focus on profitability, but in a way that enhances the collaborative culture that comes from a unified (and clear) vision.

Why do short-term profits and a welcoming work place have to be mutually exclusive? Business, when stripped of all the fancy stuff is about making a profit. Those who make the profit happen are humans. If you look after the humans in your business, you will be profitable. Start by having a welcoming, compassionate, and respectful attitude towards the people in the organisation. That costs nothing and without it, it pretty much does not matter what else you do - it won't work. Attitude first, then initiatives that you can afford. You can always add more, but taking things away will cause no end of discontent and a reduction in your profitability. Look after your people and they will look after your business