So what does your company culture look like? Chances are, you've never stopped to think about it in this way. But if your company has been around for a while, you probably have a sense of what it is—whether or not you define it. Your company culture could be characterized by something as simple as the language people use to talk among themselves and with customers. Or maybe it's the food you serve at meetings, or the attire employees are expected to wear when they come into work. The ways that the company values teamwork, efficiency, and creativity could be part of your culture too. All these things together create an experience for everyone inside and outside of your business.
A strong company culture leads to successful businesses, so it's important to know what yours is and how it works. If you're thinking about changing any part of it, you should consider how such a change might affect everything else that makes up your company's culture. For example, if you decide to start serving coffee in the office in the morning instead of having people go out for coffee every day, that change will affect how much people spend on coffee; but maybe it will also affect their behaviour: will they talk more or less? Will they eat more or less?
Implementing company culture
The thing about company culture is that it's a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, it's something that needs to be consistently reinforced—the values, beliefs, and behaviors you want to see in your employees and customers...and in yourself. But on the other hand, it's something that shouldn't be forced. It should just be there. So how does this work?
It can take some time to develop a strong culture, but the essential first step is being clear on what your core values are. These are the ideals you want your company to live by, whether they're related to customer service or design or something else. Once you know what those values are, you can work them into your everyday behaviour. This goes for both the way you treat others and how you carry yourself as an individual.
The biggest risk to your company culture is that it won't be intentional. After all, culture doesn't just happen organically. It needs to be built into the daily life of your company.
Here are four things you can do today to make sure that great company culture becomes more than a slogan on your website:
- Make sure there are no surprises—clarity is key when building a strong company culture.
- Communicate expectations
- Set examples
- Give feedback
Continue reading: What Is Your Company Culture? Helping You Define It
