A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 2

It’s true that a company’s culture has a lot to do with the person who owns it. But it’s also true that it has a lot to do with its employees.

During the holiday season, there are several steps a manager in the storage industry can take to prevent

burnout, communicate better with their facility owner, and get excited about the upcoming year.

Check out the tips on the following pages to learn what you can do. Giving your company the jolt it needs

may be much easier than you think!

1. Be the Change You Want to See ................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Ask the Best Way to Give Feedback ............................................................................................................................ 5

3. Make Proactive Improvements ....................................................................................................................................... 7

4. Ask Customers for Feedback ......................................................................................................................................... 9

5. Speak Up When You’re Unsure ..................................................................................................................................... 11

6. Refresh Work / Life Balance .......................................................................................................................................... 13

7. Help Out Your Community ............................................................................................................................................. 15

8. Plan Something Exciting ................................................................................................................................................. 17

Be the Change You Want to See

01

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 4

There’s a quote, controversially attributed to Gandhi, that goes like this: “Be the change you wish to

see in the world.” It may be overused, but it’s an easy line to remember as you seek to improve your

company’s culture.

Before writing this article, I had the opportunity to interview Dan Miller, CEO of storEDGE. When I asked him

about our company’s unique culture and what he does to make it thrive, he pointed out that a company’s

culture isn’t the result of a single person; it’s a collaboration that involves employees as well as the owner.

The owner of a company creates the culture initially, but it is shaped and tweaked over time by the people

who join it.

So, here’s what this means for you: Think about the kind of culture you want to see at your company. Do

you want your company to be known for superb customer service, a kind attitude, clear communication,

and hard work? The first step I have for you (and it might make a bigger difference than you think it will) is

to lead by example, regardless of the size of the task ahead of you. No matter your position in a company,

you can spread warmth, dedication, and passion, or you can spread competition, jealousy, and pettiness. I

think I know which atmosphere you’d prefer to work in.

You may not be the owner, but your efforts could go further than you think. Keep that in mind when

interacting with customers, fellow managers, and your boss. Even if the changes seem slow, your facility

owner will probably notice your efforts and A+ attitude.

01 | Be the Change You Want to See

Ask the Best Way to Give Feedback

02

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 6

Do you have observations about daily tasks you’ve been wishing you could pass along to your owner?

What about ideas for incentives to boost employee morale? However intimidating it may be to share your

thoughts, your owner will likely appreciate the feedback. In fact, they may already be brainstorming ways to

help you be more open about your thoughts.

So long as you frame your thoughts in a way that highlights your interest in helping the company succeed,

your owner is probably more than happy to hear what you have to say. And a great step to make your

feedback as helpful as it can be (and a little less scary to give) is to ask your owner how and when they

would like to hear it.

Some bosses may want to get on the phone and have a casual chat. Others may like to see a bulleted

email list complete with links to your research, while others may be happy to head out to lunch for a fun

discussion. You can say something like, “I would love to share some ideas I have for ______ (getting more

renters, improving our marketing efforts, refreshing our company culture, etc.). Are you open to feedback,

and if so, what’s the best method for me to share my thoughts with you?”

If you don’t have specific thoughts now, it doesn’t hurt to ask for their perspective anyway. Perhaps

something like, “I want to do my part to make our company even better and I’ll be thinking of ideas to make

that happen. When I do have feedback, what’s the best way for me to relay that to you?” Demonstrating

that you’re proactive and eager is a perfect way to stand out to your boss as well as make yourself excited

about sharing your ideas with confidence.

02 | Ask How Best to Give Feedback

Make Proactive Improvements

03

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 8

On the topic of being proactive, sometimes the best way to reenergize yourself is to brainstorm ideas and

create a course of action to follow. This holds especially true if there are things you wish you could change

at your company.

For example, if you think your facility website isn’t cutting it, do a bit of preliminary research before sending

your thoughts to your owner, or read some articles on what you can do to improve your facility’s website

in its current state. Take the initiative, outlining what you plan to do and, of course, run it by your owner

before making any changes.

It’s easy as an employee to get into the mindset that your company’s culture is “just the way it is.” After

all, you aren’t the owner and you probably don’t have complete authority over every strategic move for

the facility you manage. But it’s that attitude that many business owners find frustrating, and it’s the same

attitude that makes you feel helpless.

You may surprise yourself with your own creativity. Take notice of the areas where your facility could be

providing a better experience to your customers and spend the time you might otherwise spend surfing the

internet at the office to find ways to improve these areas. Once you open up to the idea that you can take

steps to make things better, any slump that may have been creeping up on you will be gone before you

know it.

This is also the perfect time to involve the other managers at your company, spreading a proactive, creative

mindset and thereby refreshing company culture with your team.

03 | Make Proactive Improvements

Ask Customersfor Feedback

04

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 10

In my owner’s guide to refreshing company culture, I encouraged them to ask you for the valuable

feedback you have to share. Just like you have insight that your owner may not, your customers have

insight that you might not.

If you know that there’s a problem or you’re simply looking for ways to make things even better, you don’t

have to go racking your brain for the next big idea. The answer might be right in front of you in the minds of

the hundreds of people who rent at your property.

There are all sorts of ways to gather their feedback, too. If you want to go for a quick, casual approach, try

asking a customer the next time they’re in the office how their experience has been. Ask about something

specific you’ve been thinking about: Is there a missing amenity they’d like to see? Is there a reason they

would or wouldn’t recommend your facility to a friend?

Of course, you can also make this a bit more of an elaborate endeavor. At this point you probably know the

value of online reviews for local businesses, so why not get both the feedback you need as a manager and

the good reviews you need as a facility?

Depending on what your customers prefer, you can send out a survey through email, set up a suggestion

box in the office, or even send out a link to your Google+ page where customers can leave reviews. You

could always hold some sort of raffle for participants, though some experts say you might want to shy

away from anything that could look like bribing customers to get reviews. A safe approach is to be open

and honest with your tenants: “I’m preparing feedback for an end-of-year review with our owner and

your opinion is an integral part of what we do. Would you mind answering these questions to help me

understand how we can improve our facility?”

04 | Ask Customers for Feedback

Speak Up WhenYou’re Unsure

05

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 12

Maybe your owner didn’t set clear goals for the year, or maybe they did and you’re feeling more confused

than you did before. Perhaps you keep missing opportunities for raises and promotions even though you

feel like your performance is stellar.

Many employees find answers for themselves. If they don’t understand something their boss said or did,

they make assumptions and figure out motivation for themselves, brewing on their resentment rather than

giving their boss the opportunity to clear the air.

If at any point you’re confused, unsure, or bitter, don’t dwell on it! It’s perfectly acceptable to ask

for clarification at any point, so long as you can present how you’re feeling in a professional way. In

fact, your owner would probably prefer that you speak up now rather than having to clear up a large

misinterpretation months down the road.

Say you’re in a company meeting and your owner brushes over a goal that affects you. If you have no idea

what they mean, raise your hand and ask kindly for clarification. If you have a one-on-one review with your

owner and some of the weaknesses they outlined no longer make sense a week later, follow up with a

polite email.

Too many people let their happiness at work be dictated by how successfully they can scapegoat

their bosses. The problem is that all bosses are human, with different communication preferences and

management styles. What you thought was a strange goal or outlandish request may have seemed crystal

clear to your facility owner. The people who are most successful are direct, open, proactive, and eager to

clear up any communication issues.

05 | Speak Up When You’re Unsure

Refresh Work / Life Balance

06

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 14

It’s the end of the year, and you’ve worked hard for months to make customers happy, keep numbers up

for the business, and handle any and all crises that arrived. So guess what? It’s completely normal to feel a

bit burnt out. Considering how much time work consumes from the average American’s week, burnout is a

very real struggle we all face. Acknowledging this fact can help you prevent it.

HelpGuide.org, a non-profit guide to mental health and well-being, says you may be on the road to burnout

at work if you:

• Feel like you have little or no control over your work

• Feel like there’s a lack of recognition or rewards for good work

• Feel like your job expectations are unclear or overly demanding

• Do work that’s monotonous or unchallenging

• Work in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

Many of these can be combatted by following the steps above: being proactive to find your own ways

to make improvements and streamlining communication between you and your owner. HelpGuide also

provides simple steps you can take to find a better work/life balance and feel excited — not exhausted —

when you go into work. Try some of the following:

• Start the day with a relaxing ritual, like meditating, writing, doing gentle stretches, or reading something

inspiring.

• Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits.

• Set boundaries to say no when you need to, whether it’s for a project too big for your plate or a

request from a family member that’s adding more stress to your life than anything else. This will allow

you to say yes to the things you truly want to do.

• Take a daily break from technology by setting a time when you put away your laptop, turn off your

phone, and stop checking email.

• Nourish your creative side by trying something new, starting a fun project, or resuming a favorite

hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work.

• Learn how to manage stress with tips via Helpguide: get moving, engage socially, avoid unnecessary

stress, alter the situation, adapt to the stressor, accept what you can’t change, and make time for fun

and relaxation.

Sometimes long-term issues at a company can point to the idea that you’d be happier somewhere else,

but if you aren’t taking care of the areas above, you’re likely to face many of the same problems wherever

you go next. Instead, take some preventative measures to make sure you maintain a healthy and happy

balance between work and your personal life.

06 | Refresh Work / Life Balance

Help Out YourCommunity

07

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 16

Do you feel a bit like work is all about coming into the office and getting rentals? Like it’s more about the

numbers than the people? It’s easy to feel that way, especially with big goals for the new year coming down

the pipeline. The good news is that this is the perfect time of year to set your sights outward rather than

inward.

Have you already planned some sort of holiday appreciation event for your tenants? Go small with a mass

letter or Christmas card mailed to your tenants, or go big and host an event, write personal letters, or bring

a special gift to a family in need. Invite your tenants to volunteer at a local charity with you.

Talk to the other managers at your company for ideas and to get a team effort going. Sometimes it’s

the simple act of thinking about others and looking for ways to brighten their days that makes you feel

completely rejuvenated in both your personal and professional life. And sparking a company culture of

altruism can spread to your fellow facilities, giving back to your respective communities while providing the

service of self storage.

07 | Help Out Your Community

Plan SomethingExciting

08

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 18

Finally, this time of year can bring mixed emotions for people. It’s a time of giving, thankfulness, and

selflessness. But it’s also a stressful and busy time, where nice gestures and parties can quickly escalate to

dramatic arguments or tension.

Maybe before you even realized it, you booked up most of your December weekends with parties and

obligations. Perhaps you’re trying to figure out how you and your spouse will be able to spend equal

amounts of time with each family. Well, if the thought of another gathering sounds dreadful and that’s all

you’ve got planned for the holidays, can you guess how you’ll feel coming back to work? Tired. Exhausted.

Frustrated.

Without necessarily cancelling all other plans, plan something that makes you eager for this time of year.

Something that will leave you feeling rejuvenated coming into next year. Have you been eyeing a specific

gift for your spouse that’s just a tad bit out of price range? Maybe this is the year to splurge. Do you

hate dragging yourself to New Year’s Eve parties? Whip up some hot chocolate and spend the evening

answering introspective questions about last year and the upcoming year. Make time to take your cute

niece to see some local Christmas lights.

Find at least one thing that makes you excited. Make sure, among all the chaos of the season, you make

time for it. That’ll help your break feel more like a break and give you the energized spirit you need to

welcome the new year at your storage facility with a big smile and welcome arms.

08 | Plan Something Exciting

Ring in the new year as a happy, motivated employee

Between these tips directed at managers and the tips directed at owners, think of how much of an impact

you can be to your company culture. Now’s the perfect time to start a domino effect, being the fun and

dedicated manager that encourages other managers to be the same way.

What do you think of these tips? There are plenty more articles like this one on our storEDGE blog. Have

additional topic ideas for us? Send us an email anytime. We’d love to hear from you.

Self Storage Technology by storEDGE

storEDGE® is a technology company backed by a team of dreamers, visionaries, perfectionists, and

inventors who believe technology can always be better. Created specifically for the self storage industry,

storEDGE is designed to level the playing field for independent business owners and bring in the highest

ROI for facilities large and small. We are proud to make innovative software that runs your business,

modern websites that hook new tenants, online rental centers that allow customers to serve themselves

24/7, and integrative services to make daily work easier.

Request a free demo

A Manager’s Guide to Refreshing Company Culture | 21

Natasha is a designer at storEDGE specializing in graphic and web design. She is a graduate

of Kansas State University with a degree in graphic design. When she’s not designing,

Natasha likes to explore Kansas City, cheer on the Royals, and relax with her cat, Albert.

About the Author

Amy is a writer in Kansas City. She enjoys the process of combining self storage industry

research, powerful web marketing strategies, and small business experience to cultivate the

growth of facilities nationwide.

About the Designer

Marketing Websites

storEDGE self storage website design services are tailored to your brand to get you results. We use our

experience in search engine optimization to craft your responsive website intelligently with high-performing

unique content. Plus, we provide all the tools you need to turn the leads you gain into customers. Just visit

your website’s dashboard where all of your crucial facility data is ready to be analyzed at any time.

Rental Center™

The storEDGE Rental Center™ is a convenient online interface where your tenants can serve themselves.

Tenants can view your storage unit sizes, choose their perfect space, and complete the entire move-in

process in mere minutes, all from any device with an internet connection. Whether you provide a self-serve

station at your facility or add a link to your website, your customers will love how easy it is to rent with you

online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Management Software

storEDGE online storage management software allows you to easily manage and grow your self storage

business. Convert your leads to tenants, manage customer relationships, bill and collect rent, and increase

your profits — all from one beautiful interface. With 100% cloud based technology, all of your facility

information is stored securely and accessible from any device, anywhere in the world, eliminating the need

to download, install, and maintain software.