We have all seen this before. Every company has a culture. Unfortunately, that culture doesn’t always develop on purpose. What is the difference?
- Intentional company culture is a deliberate effort by leaders to define, communicate, and reinforce the principles that guide the company and its employees.
- Accidental company culture, on the other hand, is a byproduct of neglect or oversight. When leaders fail to actively shape the culture, it can develop haphazardly, influenced by individual behaviors and ad-hoc decisions.
What is Your Company Culture?
Do employees rave about the culture on the team?
The answers to questions like this are vital to the success of an organization. Why? Because happy employees on a positive team are more efficient, work harder, help each other, make more money for the company, and talk about how they love their jobs.
Top Performers will brag about the positive atmosphere and great culture which will make other Top Performers take notice.
What Creates a Positive Work Culture?
Each team will have its own unique culture, and it can be helpful to brainstorm as a team on what type of culture you want to have.
Here are a few ideas to get you started on creating a wonderful team culture:
Open Communication
Do you know how each person on your team communicates best and honor that? Whether they love email, prefer face to face, want the details, or prefer just the facts, each person has a communication style.
Leaders need to know and adapt to each person’s style, and ideally, team members should do the same.
Mutual Respect
Does everyone feel comfortable speaking up, sharing their ideas, and disagreeing when needed without being shut down or fearing that they will “get in trouble”?
Each person, regardless of age, race, education, position, or creed should feel safe sharing their ideas and opinions, and each person should feel their point of view is respected.
Shared Department Goals
Does each person, in every department, know what their goals are individually and as a team?
Team goals bring people together and help them focus and move in the same direction. People who are not competitive individually are often competitive for their team, so make goals clear and encourage teamwork.
Shared Core Values
In business, Core Values are defined as deeply ingrained principles that guide a company (or team’s) action. These values will not be compromised.
What are the Core Values at your company? If they have never been articulated, then you likely have people on the team who don’t share them.
As a leadership team, with input from everyone, define the company’s core values. Make sure each person knows and agrees, and then hire people who align with those values.
Shared Ethics
Ethics are defined as a moral principle that governs a person’s behavior. A code of conduct.
Inc. Magazine put it this way: “Your company’s culture is ultimately built not on what you say, but what you do. And, more important, by what you don’t do. What you permit. What you accept. What you allow. What you let people get away with.”
Does everyone on the team know what acceptable and unacceptable behavior is? Are there consequences for rude behavior, bullying, and not showing respect for others?
Clear Expectations
Leaders need to be clear on what they are expecting of their team, but are they also clear about what their role is?
To respect their leaders, teams need to know that their leaders are holding themselves accountable as well. When teams see their leaders working hard and hitting goals, they are likely to work harder as well.
Praise and Recognition
Humans crave recognition. Are leaders giving praise to each member of the team on a consistent basis?
Actively look for ways to praise your team and encourage them to praise each other.
Employee Growth and Development
Is there a growth plan for each member of the company, regardless of position? Professionals need to know that there is a next step.
A way to grow and develop their skills to become better. Professional development is highly sought after by all of the generations currently in the workforce.
Positive Social Interaction
It has been estimated that the average adult spends about 90,000 hours, or roughly one-third, of their life at work. Which makes positive social interaction vital.
Does the company offer social events that employees actually enjoy? Encourage the team to share ideas on how they would like to bond, as a team and a company, and be intentional in leading these events.
Unified Commitment: The Foundation of a Thriving Culture
For a great culture, everyone has to be on board and moving in the same direction. Buy in is vital, as are consequences for anyone that is going to actively move in the wrong direction.
An amazing culture will attract and keep top performers and help everyone to be their best. Don’t leave this to chance! Work as a team to create a positive, intentional culture that will lead to lasting success.
Pic designed by rawpixel for Freepik.com.
Tirzah Thornburg is a Senior Talent Analyst at The Center for Sales Strategy, where she’s coached sales people and managers since 2007.