Culture Flows From the Inside Out

I have spent a lot of time in the past talking about the importance of building the appropriate culture within organizations. In the mortgage industry, there are often as many cultures as their are companies. From one organization to another, you never know what you're going to get. The question you want to ask yourself is, "Is my organization one in which people actually want to work?"
Do your employees work for you simply because they need the job, or do they genuinely believe in what you're doing? How you answer this question can make all the difference between your success and failure. Here's why: culture flows from the inside out. The atmosphere you create for your employees will be the atmosphere they create for your customers.
Here's another way of saying it: if your employees actually want to work for your organization, they will generate customers that actually want to do business with your organization. In other words, happy employees will create happy customers. Just like your employees will stay with you because they love the work, not simply because they need the job, your customers will stay with you because they love doing business with you--not simply because you are the lowest bidder.
Bottom line: The culture you create for your employees will be the culture they create for your customers. Never underestimate the power of culture. For better or worse, it will define you in the end.
zzzzzzzzzzz