At the heart of every successful company is a strong company culture.
Your company culture has the power to draw in top talent, boost productivity and maximise retention. Employees no longer want a paycheque from any old organisation; they want to feel aligned with the business, they want to feel valued, and they want to be able to contribute in a meaningful way.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to build a strong company culture that engages your team and helps your business thrive.
Values are the Core of Company Culture
The first step in building a strong company culture is to understand your company’s values and, most importantly, how to communicate them effectively.
What do you stand for?
What’s your mission and vision?
What are you passionate about?
These values should be reflected and projected in everything you do, like:
- The style of communication throughout the business (more on this later)
- The companies you associate with
- The clients you take on (not every client is the right client; know when to say no)
- The causes & charities you support
- The direction of every project – no matter how small. Straying from the path creates confusion for people on the ground floor.
Company Culture & Communication
Communicating effectively means sharpening your soft skills as well as keeping up with the day-to-day admin. It’s about strengthening relationships and understanding team-wide.
Here are a few tips:
1. Give feedback – employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are 3x more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or less
2. Ask for feedback – regularly asking your team about the barriers they’re coming up against and what they’re enjoying most gives you great ideas for new practical insights and potential avenues for individual employees.
3. Show people you hear them – feedback is nothing without action. Showing your team that you care is all about reacting to their input, and making sure the message comes across! If you’re switching your team’s handsets out because of feedback (pardon the pun), don’t waste the opportunity to let your employees know they were instrumental in this change.
Leading by Example – Top-Down Company Culture
It’s common knowledge that employees tend to take on the personality traits of their leaders. This is great news because leading by example is the most cost and time-effective way of teaching productive habits to your teams.
3 top tips:
1. Communication – Give Them the WHY
People need context. Don’t just hand out tasks, tell people where this fits into the bigger picture, and why it’s important – why they should really care, and not just go through the motions.
2. Hard Work & Collaboration – No Task Too Small
Going out of your way to do favours for other teams and muck in with little tasks around the workplace outside of your usual jurisdiction goes a long way. Many of the most successful CEOs are known to help any receptionist or cleaner when they have a moment – and if you never feel you have a moment, carving out 5 minutes a day makes all the more impact.
3. Rewarding Employees – That Guy Gets It
When you see employees embodying your company’s values, make a big fuss! Whether that means literally shouting about it, giving out an award or incentive – just let them know you appreciate them, and let others know that these things don’t go unnoticed.
Company Culture Takes Time – That’s Okay
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a strong company culture. But consistency is what works – bit by bit, you see things getting better and better – from the way your employees faces’ look in the morning to the innovation happening in the workplace. Don’t be discouraged by the journey ahead, just board the train today and keep at it.
Evaluating and sticking by your values; communicating purposefully and effectively; and leading by example will allow you to build a culture full of talented individuals who make your business thrive.
Fancy a bit more light reading? Explore 10 strategies proven to boost morale in the workplace!
