(Westhafer)
Betsy Westhafer knows the other side of strong company cultures. While working in a previous job, she endured many personal challenges. After an unpleasant interaction with management, she decided it was time to work on starting her own business.
The Congruity Group, a consulting firm for C-Suite leaders based in Dayton, Ohio started in 2015. “My mantra to myself is to always create a place where peoples’ jobs fit into their lives rather than trying to make their lives fit into their jobs,” says Westhafer, CEO. This is, without a doubt, the most rewarding part of what I do, and honestly, it’s why I do it.”
The Congruity Group is the winner of the 2023 BBB International Torch Award for Ethics (1 to 10 employees category).
Committing to the Four Cs
The BBB International Torch Awards are based on the Four Cs: Character of the organization’s leadership, an authentic Culture, a transparent relationship with Customers, and impact on the local Community.
Character: One of Westhafer’s favorite expressions is: “always do the right thing, even when no one is looking.” She adds, “This is one of our core values that we read out loud each week to kick off our team meetings.”
Westhafer believes the key to personal and professional success is to lead with high character. “One must be open to soliciting feedback to continuously improve as a person, as a colleague, as a service provider, and as a company. It’s not enough to solicit feedback [through internal surveys]; you must be willing to embrace what you hear and adjust accordingly. Sometimes it’s painful and humbling, but it truly is the only way to ensure that you are doing everything you can possibly do to be the best of the best.”
Culture: Westhafer says building a culture that supports her philosophy takes intentionality, support from others, flexibility, compassion, and grace. She uses surveys to see if she is creating an environment that meets her mantra.
Example: She has a three-pronged approach: 1) she leads by example; 2) she challenges employees to make decisions and then supports them regardless of the outcome; and 3) she is not afraid to admit a mistake and learn from it while sharing with her team. This has allowed her to shape an organization that is willing to go the extra mile without fear of reprisal.
“If we have to grow slower because of this commitment to the culture, then so be it,” Westhafer says. “We’re not going to do the trade-off of hair-on-fire culture, you’ve got to be working all the time so that we can grow faster. We will grow at the pace that prioritizes the family and family time.”
Customer Relationships: “Our business is quite literally about helping our clients engage in the best way possible with their customers. We must walk our talk, and we do,” she says.
One way is determining who they want to do business with—and how. She explains: “Is this a fit for you, and is it a fit for us? Having that mutual respect. One of our core values is we operate with calm confidence rather than frantic desperation.”
One example is how Congruity works with businesses. A team member wrote in a note to Westhafer about a prospective client, “We know our product can help them grow, but we were respectful of their situation and counseled them to defer a buying decision until a more appropriate time for them. Not often does a company suggest not doing business with you!”
Community: The company supports its community through the Congruity Cares program. Once a quarter, the entire team volunteers together at a nonprofit. In addition, Congruity supports individual staff members taking time off to help organizations of their choosing. “We do this not just because we ‘should,’ not just because it looks good on award applications, not because we expect anything in return, but rather because if there is a need and we have the ability to meet it, we must do all we can,” Westhafer says. “No ifs, ands, or buts.”
