5 Ways Sainsbury’s Created A Company Culture That Lead To Award-Winning Business Success

On Thursday, 14th November, Simon Roberts visited our London offices. He shared insights on how to create a company culture that leads to award-winning business success.

1. The Importance of Reflection

Simon began by discussing the feeling of exclusion. He shared a story about a colleague who asked him how often he felt excluded. The colleague assumed it was rare for Simon, which highlighted a significant insight into the colleague’s daily experiences.

This conversation provided a huge learning opportunity for Simon. It made him reflect on the importance of understanding and addressing feelings of exclusion within the workplace. By recognising these feelings, leaders can create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.

2. Diversity = Faster Decision-Making

Simon emphasised the benefits of having a diverse leadership team. At Sainsbury’s, the senior leadership team has achieved a 50:50 gender split. This balance has led to many positive outcomes, one of which is faster decision-making.

Diverse teams bring different perspectives and ideas, which can lead to more efficient problem-solving. Simon noted that diversity not only improves decision speed but also enhances the quality of those decisions. By fostering a diverse team, Sainsbury’s has been able to respond more quickly and effectively to challenges and opportunities.

3. Listening Can Be Your Competitive Advantage

Simon stressed the importance of inclusive leadership. He believes that making time for colleagues results in discretionary effort. This effort is a unique source of competitive advantage. Simon listens to his leadership team and also attends a weekly internal call, that the entire Sainsbury’s workforce is able to attend and voice their opinions. This platform allows everyone to contribute, sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Listening to suppliers and customers is also crucial. Simon encouraged thinking about what customers want and need, advocating for a more local, relevant, and connected approach.

4. Be Honest About Challenges

Simon discussed challenges related to ethnicity and hybrid working. He was open about the ethnicity challenge Sainsbury’s face, which inspired more genuine questions and conversations in the room after his speech. He is addressing this by opening career pathways and providing greater support for current ethnic members of staff as well as also external future applicants too.

Regarding hybrid working, Simon believes younger colleagues need office experience to connect and learn with colleagues. However, he also understands the importance of flexibility for work-life balance. Finding the right balance is key, as is understanding that there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

5. Future Leaders

Simon’s advice for future leaders is to gather diverse perspectives. Listening to different voices and understanding their challenges with compassion and empathy is crucial. This approach will help create innovative solutions and drives success.

If you are interested in attending future events like this one, please do email Simon Walton – simon.walton@berwickpartners.co.uk