Championship Culture at Wisconsin Oven, Part III: Employees Tell All Continued…

Posted: Apr 11, 2016 | Categories: Careers, Composite Manufacturing, Engineering, Industrial Ovens, Manufacturing, Secrets of Success

In blog two of our Championship series our three employees Jeff, Jason, and Dan spoke about their feelings on the structure of the Championship Culture we have in place here at Wisconsin Oven. They all agreed that a system of checks and balances was the way to make and keep a successful company culture. One other pattern that stood out to us was the enthusiasm towards a proactive team and how that affects our customers. Today, we pick up where Jeff, Jason, and Dan left off on company culture.

Our first question today: What does company culture mean to you? Jeff, you’re on the hot seat! “The atmosphere of the place in which you’re employed. It’s all about the attitudes and perceptions we have, as an internal team, towards the company we work for. The culture here at WOC is management support to employees. Whether it be work related items, out of office matters, or family concerns, we know we’re being taken into consideration and cared about.” We were intrigued. Next up: what does being a part of that culture mean to you? He stated, “Relying on coworkers to do their jobs successfully and being there to support each other in areas we might not be as knowledgeable on. Everyone here is a good support network. It allows us to step outside of our everyday jobs, to grow and succeed as an individual. In return, our triumphs ultimately help the organization. There are numbers we need to hit, but everybody works together. As an employee, we can rely on each other to pick up slack where something might have been missed.” Asking Jeff about his experience with our customers and how they react to our Championship Culture went hand in hand. He described, “Customers find our culture good and reliable. Of course there are challenges in every business, but our customers appreciate the efforts the company goes through as a whole. They see that we are open to getting information anyway we can. We’re not afraid to ask questions, speak to vendors, etc. This kind of process builds a quality product which goes a long way with our customers. They see all of our hard work and effort that goes into making sure we have the best equipment on the market. They also seem to be impressed with our field service. Employees are ready and willing to go to onsite locations as needed.”

Next, we came back to Jason. When asked what culture means to him he said, “The people you work with. It’s a separate community in and of itself. It all boils down to the atmosphere on a day to day basis: the job, the training, how things progress. The company is thorough when it comes to these things. As an employee we become knowledgeable before we hit the shop floor. Training can be six months to a year before we build our first oven.” And being a part of the Championship culture? “Being a part means coming and doing the best you can every day to make sure the team succeeds. Everyone looks out for each other and gives a push where it’s needed. It helps build team morale. As a result, the customers also see a better overall product.

Lastly, we turned to Dan. He adamantly responded to our question on company culture with, “A nice team atmosphere! What we have here is a lot of individuals that come together and work for each other, not just the product or the company (although that’s huge too and our focus). It’s honestly a joy to come to work every day because of the people. I’ve been working here for two years and if you have a question everyone is willing to pitch in for the solution. Chances are they’ve been there too. The fact that we are so intermingled speaks volumes about the company. It’s who you work for and with. A culture where people are accepting and helping, even when they have a bunch on their own plate. This mindset helps to better us as a company overall.” (We can tell from your peers above, Dan!) Sorry for the interruption! “Helping each other too, being a good person, and being surrounded by good people and good friends says a lot. It’s a great feeling to come into work for a company that has those morals and characteristics.” When asked about his involvement with the customers he remarked, “I’m pretty involved with them. I deal with the customer service side, ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly.’ I deal with customers who need something or want questions answered on a daily basis. It’s encouraging to be able to fall back on my WOC expertise. Backend, this means dealing with parts and transportation with trucks. Also, the service side of things like troubleshooting, making sure parts are accurate or getting customers any other information that they might want or need. The Championship Culture here works hand in hand with our customers. The way that we treat each other is how we treat them… And they notice! We work to help and go above and beyond getting customers what they need. Whether it’s building equipment to the highest standard or attending to the questions they have, our culture carries over to show the customer this isn’t something we just do internally. Externally, our goal is to make the customer want to come back, not for one piece of equipment, but for a lifetime.”

Good answers guys! Again, we’d like to thank Jeff, Jason, and Dan on a job well done to contribute to our series! Your responses on team work and customer service were beyond what we were looking for.

So there you have it: team work and customer service. Two important ingredients in the recipe for Championship Culture. Next month keep an eye out for the final edition, “Championship Culture: A Look Through the Eyes of Our CEO.”

Tags: championship culture, how to build team morale, management support of employees, office culture, quality customer service, successful company culture, system of checks and balances, teamwork in the workplace

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