Be friendly
It’s the simplest action a person can do — saying hello to someone you pass in the hallway. Yet, it’s a simple gesture that will go a long way in building a positive corporate culture.
“It’s treating people like you want to be treated,” he says. “Knowing that I want to be talked to a certain way and I demand that everyone talks to me this certain way.
“If I’m walking down the hall, I expect the cleaning people to be nice. I expect us to be nice to the cleaning people. I expect the receptionist to be friendly and kind. So, I definitely, expect our senior vice presidents to be friendly and kind.”
Albright also wants his team to learn what employees do outside of work and get to know them outside of the office.
“Now, you can’t be friends with everyone and it’s not healthy to be that way,” he says. “But, if I know a little bit about you, what sports you like, what TV shows (you like), then I can have a conversation outside of your day-to-day reporting. … Now, you’re going to pass that person six times in the hall that day, you’re not going to say the same thing every time. Then it’s a nod of the head, that kind of stuff — the simple acknowledging to someone that you value who they are.”
While Albright wants to keep friendly relationships with employees, and he encourages friendships between his employees, you, as the leader, have to draw a line on what is appropriate.
You can’t be going out for drinks with employees and acting like a fool. You have to use common sense and realize no one will have respect for you if you act inappropriately.
“The main thing is you have to remember at all times, it’s about the company first,” he says.
