Workplace Culture Intentionally Built by Transportation Leaders Builds Stronger Teams

July 15, 2026

RENO, Nev. — Building a positive workplace culture requires more than mission statements and motivational posters. It demands consistent leadership, accountability, and daily interactions that reinforce an organization’s values, explained leadership speaker and former school transportation executive Jim Scheffler.

Speaking during a Sunday session at STN EXPO West, Schiffler encouraged transportation directors and supervisors to view culture as a strategic tool for improving employee engagement, retention and organizational performance rather than an abstract concept.

“Most organizations talk about culture,” he said during the conference. “Very few have culture that sticks.”

Schiffler added that regardless of how many posters are hung on the walls, or slogans on the back of T-shirts, “If people aren’t living a positive culture or creating a positive environment, it’s all meaningless.”

Drawing on nearly five decades in student transportation and private business, Scheffler said culture is ultimately defined not by written policies but by everyday behavior.

“My definition of culture is a little different,” he said. “It’s the way we do things around here.”

He elaborated that culture reflects “how people behave when the boss isn’t looking.” Schiffler said transportation departments should begin by developing a concise mission statement tailored specifically to their operation rather than relying solely on a districtwide statement.

Schiffler noted that each mission statement should be different within its own department, as opposed to district wide statement “You are unique and your department is unique and you need to build a culture of your own within your department.”

He described a mission statement as the organization’s “North Star” and recommended supporting it with no more than six clearly defined values that employees can easily remember and apply in their daily work.

Mission Statements Alone Aren’t Enough

Schiffler shared lessons from leading St. Cloud Industrial Products, an employee-owned company that included school bus contracting, bus sales, auto parts distribution and granite manufacturing. As the company expanded across multiple states and Canada, he said leadership struggled to align employees around common expectations.

The company eventually adopted a mission of “making a difference in the lives we touch,” supported by values: Doing the right thing, family first, ownership, working together, respectful relationships and having fun at work.

However, Schiffler said he learned that broad values can be misunderstood without context.

He recalled one employee who routinely arrived late and left early after interpreting the company’s “family first” value as permission to prioritize her personal schedule. After meeting with her, Schiffler explained that employees also have responsibilities to their work family and customers.

The conversation prompted the company to add explanatory statements beneath each value.

“Those values must be clear and non-negotiable,” he said.

Creating the mission statement itself was a years long process. While the wording evolved over time, Schiffler said consistently discussing the mission and values gradually changed employee behavior.

“But when we started the mission statement and the values and started really working at that and talking about that, momentum started building,” he said.

He advised leaders to identify employees who naturally model the organization’s desired behaviors and empower them to reinforce the culture throughout the workforce.

Leadership Happens Outside the Office

Schiffler repeatedly emphasized that leadership is demonstrated through everyday actions rather than speeches or formal meetings.

“Everybody’s watching,” he said. “As leadership, you have to believe in your mission. You have to believe in your values, and you have to live them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

He urged transportation supervisors to spend less time behind their desks and more time interacting with drivers, mechanics, and other employees where they work.

“In your case, you need to walk the yard when they’re doing pre-trips,” he said. “Because that’s where you’ll learn what’s really going on in the organization.”

Regular conversations, he explained, build trust that often leads employees to voluntarily share concerns or observations they would never raise in a formal meeting.

“You learn a heck of a lot more walking around than you do sitting in your office,” Schiffler said.

He also encouraged departments to use anonymous employee surveys and school board meetings to gather honest feedback.

One consistent finding from the surveys conducted in his own organizations surprised him.

“Every single survey that we did produced the same result. The number one complaint from employees was communication,” he said. “People always want more information.”

Rather than attempting to fix every issue at once, Schiffler recommended selecting a small number of priorities, communicating progress regularly and demonstrating that employee feedback leads to action.

Recognition also plays a critical role in reinforcing positive behavior, he said, adding it doesn’t have to involve expensive awards.

Public acknowledgments during meetings, newsletters, or conversations can be just as meaningful, especially when paired with celebrations that strengthen relationships among employees.

He advocated for simple gatherings such as potlucks, barbecues or ice cream socials that give coworkers opportunities to connect outside their daily routines.

“You develop a great culture when your best friend is a coworker,” Schiffler said.

During a question-and-answer session, Schiffler also cautioned newly promoted transportation leaders against making sweeping operational changes immediately after assuming supervisory roles.

Instead, he advised listening first and learning the organization’s dynamics before implementing new initiatives.

“You don’t even know what the questions are yet,” he said.

Schiffler concluded by reminding attendees that every transportation department already has a culture, whether leaders intentionally shape it or not.

“Culture begins and ends with leadership,” he said. “Every leader leaves a footprint, and it’s up to you whether or not you want that footprint to be a positive culture or environment or a negative one.”

For transportation leaders facing ongoing workforce shortages and retention challenges, Schiffler argued that creating an environment where employees feel valued, informed and connected may be one of the most effective investments they can make.

Article written with the assistance of AI and a session transcript.