In the modern day world of business, good company culture is vital to a team’s success. Company culture is a shared vision amongst the company that is made up of attitude, values, goals, and practices. It has the ability to take an average team of skilled workers from mildly effective in their duties to passionate and efficient in their execution. That’s because good company culture stems from the heart and those emotions work as a motivator that is greater and more long-lasting than money or financial stability.
Company culture’s passion can be thought of like a slow and hot burn of a flame. It is a consistent energy promoted in the workplace that encourages team members by establishing value in their work. And, when an employee feels valued, they tend to enjoy the work they’re doing even more, and therefore relay that energy outward, putting in extra effort to their designated role in the company.
It’s clear how updating and revisiting company culture can be a total refresher for offices that have gotten tired and burnt-out. And, how it’s important to promote good company culture from the get-go. But how do you go about doing that as a leader who is tied up with their own daily duties?
The truth is, it’s not too difficult to incorporate good company culture into the everyday office setting. The trick is to be clear and consistent. Here are some tips on what to focus on when it comes to company culture in order to inspire your team:
Provide Meaning
As I mentioned before, the heart is where company culture stems from. Although logic and planning have their own special place in establishing a team’s practices, the heart is the front-runner in company culture. That’s because behind everything a company does, there is meaning.
The meaning of the company is the value that it is bringing to the world. It is often stated in the mission statement. However, many employers make the mistake of rarely promoting this value to their team, which results in a company full of employees working without a shared vision towards an unknown goal. When that happens, productivity, passion, and efficiency fail.
To establish good company culture and spark the passion and work ethic of their employees, a leader must make it clear to their team what the vision of the company is and how each role is vital to its success. As a general rule, leaders should do everything with those values in mind from hiring, firing, and reprimanding to communication, daily duties, and processes. Part of being a leader is also being a role model for your team, so when you exist in the workplace with the company’s vision at the front of your mind, you will inspire your team to do the same.
Focus on the Employee’s Wellness
Having a team full of healthy and happy employees should be number one on your list as a leader. If your team is suffering from physical, emotional, or mental ailments from being overworked or other various reasons, then consequently your company will suffer too.
One of the biggest ways to ensure that your team is taken care of besides providing ample personal days, sick days, and vacation time (because let’s face it, we all need a day off sometimes!) is to communicate with them about what they need, what they want, and how they are feeling.
Checking in with your team on an individual basis should not wait until your quarterly review with them. This should be embedded into the culture as something that is second-nature. Not all of your check-ins need to be a 30-minute conversation, as I know leaders are always on-the-go and swamped with tasks. A check-in could be a simple, “How’s it going?” at the start of the day.
These little bits of communication go a long way to establishing an open and vulnerable company culture that makes employees feel valued, appreciated, and heard.
Be Goal-Oriented
Goals and values go hand-in-hand when it comes to establishing quality company culture. Being goal-oriented as a leader will help to further align your team with the shared vision of the company by breaking down how, as a team, you will reach success.
Promoting goals throughout your team’s journey gets everyone on board together, working in the same direction, towards the same destination. It creates a bond while also increasing productivity because when people know what they are working towards and know that their team is working alongside them, they will step into their role with pride and determination.
Again, sharing the bigger picture of the entire vision with employees will further ignite their passion and work ethic, making them both tackle and enjoy the goals they are working towards.
Give an Opportunity for Social Connections
Humans are social beings, that’s a fact. So, allowing your team to socialize and create connections in and out of the office is mission-critical to making them feel comfortable and content.
In this day and age, it is easier than ever to promote socialization within the workplace. That’s because technology plays such a vital role in our work lives, as well as our personal lives. Many companies have group messages or Slack channels which can be used not only for work but also for personal communication throughout the day.
Some businesses even have shared office spaces for its employees now, featuring conference tables, rather than the typical traditional cubicles which tend to discourage communication by boxing employees in.
To further promote social connections, leaders can introduce and arrange team-building activities throughout the year, as well as fun after-work and weekend events such as team cocktail hours or volunteer events which align with the company’s vision.
Encourage Collaboration
Another great way to establish good company culture and raise the bar for employee satisfaction is to encourage collaboration. A team of skilled and smart employees without collaboration is a waste of talent. Including your team in decision-making and goal setting can be a game-changer for productivity and innovation.
Plus, by encouraging collaboration, your team, once again, will feel that they have a vital role in the company’s vision and success. This hefty responsibility will push them to work hard and practice creative problem-solving for whatever issue may arise.
