Growth through Culture – Four Key Ingredients

Article prepared by: Amrita Bhogal, People and Culture Leader, Sunrise Kitchens Ltd

Did you get a chance to make your Masala Chai? On the tour at Sunrise Kitchens, Amrita Bhogal, People and Culture Leader and the VP of CKCA, shared with us a special Masala spice blend.

You may be thinking how does Masala Chai connect to manufacturing cabinets?

The recipe of Masala Chai has been passed down through many generations and today families have their own unique spice blend of brewing masala chai. Culture is like masala chai. There are many variations on how to build your organizational culture and to share our process we have identified our top 4 ingredients for our recipe, Growth through Culture.

  1. Respectful Community

An important attribute to building a strong culture is having respect. Some ways you can build a respectful community within your teams is to practice active listening skills. Being an active listener can help you build trust, mutual understanding and empathy with others.  Active listening can break the barrier of listening to any objectives when teams are faced the resistance to change. In LEAN perspective, “walk the Gemba or where the activity is and listen to the people”.

  Furthermore, approaching conflict as a collaborator will also help mitigate those who are most troubled with the changes. Collaborating and understanding where they are coming from will show your team you are willing to listen and be flexible to come to an agreement both are okay with.

2.Encouraging Environment

In order to have an environment that encourages your team to build their careers with your organization, it is important to provide opportunities of training, courses they can enroll in and participate in organizational workshops. Policies can also help streamline career development such as an employee transfer policy that is initiated by the employee.  An open-door policy also allows employees to come in and share their thoughts furthermore, for Managers, Amrita provides a monthly People and Culture Coversation with her management team. This allows managers to build a personal and professional connection along with providing extra support with their teams. Building a comprehensive onboarding program that includes, new hire presentation, safety training, QA training etc. will help new hires transition into the organization.

3. Inclusion, Equality and Diversity

A unique way to share the diversity of the team is to visually represent where your team is from. There are endless ideas how this can be brought to life, a few examples can be in the format of a map on the wall or a pin able globe.  Achieve team cohesiveness through being transparent in your communications such as creating an internal newsletter or having organizational meetings every quarter. Furthermore, making employee focused decisions will help create equality. Lastly, building a two-way communication in majority of conversations will help create collaboration and ownership. Another way this can be achieved is through creating a marriage between self-evaluations and performance reviews.

4. Organization Empowerment

Empowering the organization can take place through many activities. A good place to get started is by embodying company values by setting examples through actions and communications along with positively reinforcing desired values by providing verbal rewards when the employee demonstrates the values. Another empowering action can be to celebrate failures. This will help break down the fear associated with doing some wrong or the worry of termination. It is important to create a safe environment that allows employees to make mistakes and learn from them.  Empowerment can also show up in the form of system integration. Allowing departments to work together and access information when they need it will allow them to make powerful decisions.

 

Century Initiative – 100 million by 2100

The Century Initiative is pushing for 100,000 million new Canadian into Canada by 2100. Just another example of how immigration and other factors are being tackled by different groups to address the growing shortage of workers into Canada. It is predicted that our GDP will drop to 1.6% if we stay on the current trajectory and do nothing, Century Initiative proposes 2.6% as a healthier goal.
Here’s some of the info the Century Initiative is tracking all more can be found in their informative report here. 
  • Trends in Canada’s population as of October 2020, Canada’s population was approximately 38 million.  Ontario has the highest proportion of the country’s population (39%), followed by Quebec (23%), British Columbia (14%), and Alberta (12%). The rest of the provinces each hold less than 5%.
  • In 2020, 27.3 million Canadians (more than 70% of Canada’s population) lived in cities, with the largest urban areas continuing to grow at a faster rate compared to other parts of Canada, despite recent slowed growth attributed to Covid-19.
  • The average age in Canada is slowly rising (41.4 years as of July 2020) and Canada’s share of seniors continues to grow (18% as of July 2020).
  • Rural and remote parts of Canada are more likely to experience advanced population aging compared to the rest of Canada and cities are more likely to have younger populations.
  • By 2036, seniors are projected to make up around a quarter of Canada’s population.
As we see programs such as the Century Initiative take shape, it’s important we are at the table to be heard! That’s why our partnership with CM&E and CFIB are important because through them we can echo your concerns and the real threat this labour shortage poses to our industry. CM&E and CFIB are working to influence government to make important policy decisions to help us address this massive shortage impacting the manufacturing and business sectors.

CKCA’s Cyber Risk Tool

You don’t have to understand all the tech, but you do have to understand the risk – Use this CKCA tool!

You can’t be an expert at everything. You have to delegate to others to ensure your business is protected against cyber security.

CKCA went to THE source for cyber security insights and have partnered with Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange to produce this handy checklist»

Give this checklist to your IT contact and get them to go through it and respond to you. Remember it won’t be your IT contact paying the ransomware, it will be you! So if you want to make sure your IT has got your business covered, show them this list and see what they say.

Did you know about 70% of Canadian companies have experienced an attack and that number is growing?

It can’t happen to you? Really? Check out these stories:

  • Trail Appliances, western Canada’s largest appliance retailer has been impacted by a Cyberattack. Read more »
  • Drowning in threat information? Getting advice from the right sources is important. Read more»
  • At the end of the day, every organization owns the responsibility to acquire, implement and manage their IT. Read more»

CKCA’s Cyber Risk Tool

You don’t have to understand all the tech, but you do have to understand the risk – Use this CKCA tool!

You can’t be an expert at everything. You have to delegate to others to ensure your business is protected against cyber security.

CKCA went to THE source for cyber security insights and have partnered with Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange to produce this handy checklist (please log in as a CKCA member to view this great tool).

Give this checklist to your IT contact and get them to go through it and respond to you. Remember it won’t be your IT contact paying the ransomware, it will be you! So if you want to make sure your IT has got your business covered, show them this list and see what they say.

Did you know about 70% of Canadian companies have experienced an attack and that number is growing?

It can’t happen to you? Really? Check out these stories:

  • Trail Appliances, western Canada’s largest appliance retailer has been impacted by a Cyberattack. Read more »
  • Drowning in threat information? Getting advice from the right sources is important. Read more»
  • At the end of the day, every organization owns the responsibility to acquire, implement and manage their IT. Read more»

What values have you imprinted on your company?

What values have you imprinted on your company?

By Amrita Bhogal, Human Resources, Sunrise Kitchens

 

Values are unique to everyone. Your values come from many various areas of your life, with the majority of them being instilled in us as young children. The values you inherit are what influence your choices and business practices. But are your values aligned with your company’s? As business owners, it is important to revisit this topic often and ensure the decisions made within the company are aligned. Values dictate the standard of behaviours, and these behaviours can help influence change to continually grow or decline.

 

Many businesses state their values with only the external customer in mind.  This is a great start, however, we should not stop there. In my opinion as an HR representative, the most important values that should be established are for the internal customers (i.e. your employees). This will improve the direction you want to lead your team in, and if everyone is clear on these values, it will positively impact the most difficult change in any business – a change in culture.

 

Action plan:

  • Analyze and align values established for external and internal customers
  • Bridge gaps between all levels of the organization
  • Bring values into recruiting process – hire candidates that practice similar values

 

Catch me at the CKCA National Forum in Calgary to hear more on how we can get in front of labour shortages by focusing on values, culture and kaizen.

Behaviors Dictate Culture

The culture statement on your wall does not validate your organization’s culture, the everyday actions of your people do. Culture is complicated and a one-time brainstorm session on your culture statement does not manifest the ideal culture you want to form.

 

Your culture is driven by the everyday communication, actions and decisions that are taken by your people, whether it be managers or your front-line employees. Creating a culture you want for your organization is a lifetime of constant work. There are many ways you can drive the culture you want through your people.

 

Where to get started:

  1. It all starts with values – re-evaluating your values to ensure they will be used when communicating, decision making, and everyday actions (involve the people in the organization when establishing them)
  2. Educate the organization through value-based activities – this creates a strong connection
  3. Most importantly stop behaving against your values

 

As an HR professional, I have concluded you’re always working on your culture because you are constantly improving your people. People = Culture. The constant mindset of improving your people and the actions that make it happen drives your culture. A place to start creating the ideal workplace culture is through your communication as it drives the actions which results in behaviors.

 

Want more? Start a conversation through Social Media:

Instagram: amrita_bhogal

LinkedIn: amrita bhogal

 

Amrita Bhogal

Human Resources

Sunrise Kitchens Ltd

Why Buy Canadian?

CKCA is dedicated to the ongoing continuous improvement in the Kitchen Cabinet sector!
One of the key things we want to promote is a “Made in Canada“ product.

CKCA has developed a tool to help kitchen manufacturers promote their Canadian products.  Get all the details here.

CKCA Members can get a pamphlet template to use at home shows and other trade shows. If you want information on getting the template, please contact info@ckca.ca.

Here are some of the top reasons to buy Canadian:

  • Canada is innovative and our manufacturers follow latest trends to bring you the most current European designs without having to pay higher prices to bring product from Europe.
  • Canada uses the same construction methods as Europe.
  • Canada is well respected world-wide for its wood crafting, we are excellent cabinetmakers!
  • CKCA members may carry the only Canadian kitchen cabinet manufacturing certification in Canada, this credential gives the consumer a level of quality assurance you cannot get anywhere else (please click here for a list of certified CKCA member manufacturers).
  • Support the local Canadian Economy – employ local people and support local businesses.
  • Avoid the hidden extra costs of duties and import fees.
  • Quality lead times – no need to wait for shipments from overseas, helps local sales service
  • Local after sales service, ease of warranty issue dilemmas.
  • Our products meet Canada’s Health and Safety standards due to the high regulation of our industry as a result our products keep us all safe.
  • Direct impact on our economy in positive ways, every dollar that is spent in Canada buying Canadian products has a ripple effect. We contribute to the large tax revenue base that helps fund our government programs.
  • You help to create and support manufacturing jobs in Canada which in turn provides more workers who will pay taxes, spend money buying other goods and services that maintains a healthy Canadian economy, nationally, provincially and locally.
  • You help reduce the carbon footprint when you buy a Canadian Cabinet. Far less transportation costs.
  • Melamine used in cabinet construction meets or exceeds the HUD Standards for emissions.
  • Water based finishes help to reduce our VOC’s and helps protect our environment.
  • Our workers are paid and treated fairly, work in a safe and sanitary environments.
  • Canadian kitchen companies meet and/or exceed high employment standards.
  • Buying Canadian is patriotic and makes you feel good that your consumer dollars are going to fellow Canadians and keeping our economy strong.

Work with a CKCA member today!

Business Transition

How do you make sure your business will thrive after the current generation steps away? vNacelle is working with small business owners to assist with that transition and can provide some insights

What do more than 8 million family owned and privately held businesses in the US and Canada have in common?

–          They likely face an ownership transition in the next 10 years

–          Research says $8-$10 trillion in ownership value will be changing hands

–          70% of the owners have no transition strategy

Source: vNacelle – Note: The company has now changed its name to “The Transition Strategists”. A wide range of information is available from their website here. 

The Crucial Development Opportunities for the Next Generation of Owners in the Family Business

Most entrepreneurs by nature are lifelong learners. That skill allows them to continue to grow with their company while navigating the increasing complexity and risk company growth brings. By the time they are ready to transition their business to the next generation, operating the business has become second nature to them. They often don’t even realize just how much they know.  Read the full article here.