EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine November 2019 | Page 11

This may seem an unusual way to
come to a decision for a seven-figure
deal: ask the employees.
But it made total sense to Bowler.
Instead of imposing additional work
on the staff, which could have brought
At Daytona Beverages, Bowler said a key to building a better
workplace is to improve its culture by making everybody feel
included.
“You can’t say, ‘Hey, let’s all act like owners,’ if not everybody is
friction, they incorporated them into involved in the nuts and bolts,” he said.
deal was done, they were excited about exactly what the distributor is making financially and drives them
the prospects, he said.
The payoff, he added, has been twice
the sales growth rate than had been expected.
“If people commit beforehand, they will always do a better
job,” Bowler said. “If you lay out the path to success at the ground
level in advance, the extra hours or the additional work that will be
required, it is much more effective than saying, ‘Here’s what we’ve
got for you, I need you to work twice as hard.’”
More companies are taking steps to improve the employee
experience across Volusia County, part of a wider trend to do
social good, whether by reducing carbon emissions, helping the
community or promoting diversity and gender equality at the
workplace.
A growing body of research shows that when companies turn
their focus from short-term margins to investing in environmental,
social and governance issues, they not only do good for society
but also improve their financial performance. Boston Consulting
Group, a management consultancy, has found that companies that
do well in addressing societal problems have higher margins and
valuations.
Daryl Brewster, CEO of the Chief Executives for Corporate
His company pays workers a profit dividend, which shows
to help improve the results. Employee-led teams also handle issues
from healthcare to safety, and Bowler has been encouraging them to
do more.
“We really try to build a foundation from the ground up, not
a top-down foundation, and let people tell us how to run the
business, and not us tell them how to run it,” he said. “We run this
like a family corporation. It is an open door, but we have very good
policies and procedures that everyone feels comfortable following.”
The teams have made decisions to save the employees money.
For example, they agreed to switch from a standard health
insurance package to a self-insurance plan that is 60% covered by
the company, 40% by the employee.
Bowler said investing in employee welfare is wise. “Ultimately,
it is the people who make this a special business and our job as
managers is to keep this culture going.” One way, he said, is to
show up to work every day. “If you are willing to do everything
that everybody else is doing, the company will be a lot more
successful.”
A WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Purpose (CECP) in New York, a CEO-led coalition that promotes
Foundation Risk Partners, an
corporate responsibility, said in a recent blog post that employee
insurance brokerage in Daytona Beach,
programs have gained importance as the national unemployment
has put employee wellbeing at the top
rate has dropped below 4% from 10% in 2009-10, according to data
of its agenda from the day it launched in
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2017. Its headquarters have good lighting
“If a company wants to attract and retain the best talent, it must
and plenty of sunlight. Employees can
put a focus on their needs,” Brewster said.
exercise or do yoga in recreational areas,
“Companies are doubling down on support and protection
or play foosball or ping pong.
for employees in ways such as education, nonprofit fellowships,
healthcare, pro bono sabbaticals, and more,” he wrote. Some like
Google, the California-based technology giant, are taking it further,
he added, by providing employees with the tools and support “to
make a difference in the world.”
”
making the decision so that when the
Chris Bowler
INVESTING IN CULTURE
This costs money, of course, but
Charlie Lydecker
Charlie Lydecker, the president and CEO,
said it gives the employees, or team
members as he calls them, a better work-life balance and keeps
Companies are doubling down on support and protection for
employees in ways such as education, nonprofit fellowships, healthcare,
pro bono sabbaticals, and more.”
NOVEMBER 2019 | 11 |