The chemistry of your culture deserves the same attention as the chemistry of your process.
Larry DietzIn the metal finishing and painting industry, chemistry is central to what we do. We monitor our tanks, check concentrations, control temperatures, and adjust processes to keep them performing as expected. We understand that small changes can affect quality, consistency, and results.
But there is another kind of chemistry that deserves just as much attention: the chemistry of your team.
How well does your team communicate? How involved are team members in improving the business? Does everyone understand what is happening and why—or does that information stay within the leadership group?
You can have a carefully controlled process and still have a disconnected, uninformed, or frustrated team. That chemistry affects your operation, too.
What Is Your Team Chemistry Telling You?
When you evaluate the culture of your company, ask yourself:
- Does our team know where the company is headed?
- Do team members understand our priorities and how their work contributes to them?
- Do we explain why changes are being made?
- Does important information reach the team doing the work?
- Do team members feel comfortable asking questions and raising concerns?
- Do we ask for their ideas—and follow up on what they share?
- Are we building trust through consistent communication and action?
These questions deserve more than a quick “yes.” The answers show up every day in how your team works together, responds to problems, and takes ownership.
Information Cannot Stay in the Leadership Group.
Leadership may discuss customer expectations, quality concerns, production challenges, and plans. But if those conversations never reach the team doing the work, how can we expect that team to respond effectively?
A team member may know what task to complete without understanding why it matters. Following instructions is different from understanding how your work contributes to the company’s success.
If suggestions go unanswered, participation can fade. If concerns lead to blame, problems may remain hidden.
Sharing information gives work context. It helps team members recognize priorities, make better decisions, and understand the consequences of missed expectations.
Not every business detail needs to be shared. But the team that depends on it should receive the information needed to do good work, understand changes, and contribute to improvement.
Listen to the Team Closest to the Process
The team operating your lines, handling parts, preparing surfaces, inspecting finishes, and shipping orders sees the process in action every day. Team members often recognize recurring problems and practical opportunities for improvement.
Are you making use of that knowledge?
- When a problem occurs, do we ask the team what they are seeing?
- When we change a process, do we involve the team that will use it?
- When someone offers an idea, do we give it serious consideration?
- When a concern is raised, do we respond and explain the next step?
- When an improvement succeeds, do we recognize the team’s contribution?
Asking for input is only the beginning. What leadership does with that input determines whether team members keep speaking up.
If suggestions go unanswered, participation can fade. If concerns lead to blame, problems may remain hidden. If leadership listens and follows through, trust has room to grow.
Culture Requires Daily Attention
We would not ignore a process tank for months and expect it to remain in balance. Yet we sometimes expect team chemistry to take care of itself.
It does not.
Daily interactions shape culture: how we set expectations, respond to mistakes, recognize good work, and hold ourselves and our team accountable.
Those habits help create a stronger, more successful company—and a better foundation for growth.
A meeting or a slogan cannot carry that responsibility alone. Team chemistry develops through repeated actions that demonstrate respect, fairness, communication, and follow-through.
Consider the attention you give your process:
- You check its condition.
- You look for changes.
- You investigate problems.
- You make adjustments.
- You verify that those adjustments work.
Apply that same discipline to your team. Check in regularly. Notice where communication is breaking down. Address concerns early. Explain decisions clearly. Follow up to see whether things have improved.
Give Your Team Chemistry the Attention It Deserves
Think about the time, effort, and resources you invest in maintaining your tanks and finishing processes. That investment is necessary because your results depend on it.
Your results also depend on your team.
When team members understand expectations, receive useful information, and have a voice in improvement, they are better equipped to contribute. Stronger communication reduces confusion. Greater involvement uncovers better ways to work. Consistent leadership can build the trust needed to address problems openly.
Those habits help create a stronger, more successful company—and a better foundation for growth.
The next time you review the chemistry of your process, take a moment to review the chemistry of your culture.
If you gave your team the same consistent care and attention you give your tanks, what could your company become?
Larry Dietz is the owner of Next Step Consulting & Business Solutions and brings over 45 years of leadership in manufacturing and metal finishing. Over more than four decades, he has led multi-line operations, guiding expansions, ERP modernization, and quality systems that earned 11 consecutive industry Top Shop awards. Known for building strong cultures grounded in clear expectations and visible management, Larry focuses on practical systems that improve communication, accountability, and results. Through Next Step, he partners with owners and leadership teams to turn day-to-day chaos into simple execution rhythms that stick. Learn more at www.nownextstep.com.
