5 Pillars of Organizational Culture in Hispanic Retailers

Implementing and running an organizational culture in our stores (whether it is one or 50 that we manage under the same company) is mandatory to ensure the future of our stores. 

Starting up an organizational culture program is not something so simple to explain in an article. Still, I can present the five main pillars of organizational culture to work on at the level of Hispanic retail:

  1. How our organization operates in each of our businesses or outlets. 

Our operating mentality will determine the environment in which all of our employees will work, and to a large extent, it will also assess their behaviors.

All retailers that have established an organizational culture of empathy, compassion, collaboration, inclusion, and superior ethical standards have succeeded in being leaders with a good working environment. Consequently, they have achieved exceptionally high customer satisfaction rates and, in turn, outstanding business results.

2. Core values that we will never negotiate or reduce due to external or internal pressures.

Our leaders must communicate to our store teams the actions they take in the company.

Behaviors are the most powerful determinant of real change. Therefore, the dominant behaviors of the workforce must change and be adjusted to bring about business transformation.

Let’s apply the famous phrase “Be the change you want to see” through the principle and the trickle-down effect. Our employees and leaders will begin to emulate the behaviors we want to implement in our new organizational culture, resulting in favorable actions for most people.

Transparency, authenticity, and sincerity from the senior management team will be the three main actors needed to execute a tangible behavioral transformation in all our stores.

Related Article: 5 Tips For Our Stores to Win Back Lost Customers

3. How we treat and manage our relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, and leaders.

We are in the 21st century. The old ways of managing the “scary boss” with his scare tactics to get results are more than obsolete and outdated.

Traditionally in our retail, we have taken care of the customer above all things, even at the expense of taking care of our collaborators’ treatment, which is not and should not be so.

We take it for granted that it is the customer who ensures our existence, but at the same time, every one of our employees is an equal player in securing our future. Therefore, let us never again favor one side or the other; both sides are equally necessary for the organizational culture.

4. Allow in our business units autonomous behavior in decision making, the development of innovative ideas, and personal expression.

Giving some autonomy or freedom of movement to our leaders in Hispanic retail has traditionally been considered an unwise practice due to our store teams’ accountability structure.

These practices are a thing of the past because they prevented our leaders and associates from growing professionally, developing, and contributing ideas. 

5. Get all of our leaders and associates committed to achieving corporate goals.

Retailers who have built a solid cultural foundation have done so by developing trust, empathy, inclusion, and care for their associates. With this foundation in place, we will consistently receive the full support of our teams in achieving corporate objectives.

A strong organizational culture will establish an environment of ethical consistency that every store or unit of your business will experience. Each retailer wants all associates to be 100% committed to achieving the collective objectives. Therefore, leaders and team members must complete these objectives with integrity, transparency, honesty, and ethical behavior.