Business growth consultants can tell you, It is the most potent driver and predictor of employee performance and affects overall company performance.
When done right, It can boost employee morale, improve productivity, increase sales, expand profits, and reinforce your recruitment and retention efforts. When not done well, It will have the opposite effect.
It is company culture.
When thoughtfully cultivated, company culture creates a unified, productive team. At best, poor or unchecked company culture can lead to choppy waters and, at worst, a complete shipwreck.
Read on to learn how to create a positive company culture that boosts employee performance and benefits everyone. The great news is you probably heard these phrases as a kid.
“Talk It Out”
Communication is King. To establish a positive company culture, leaders must communicate expectations.
Wherever two or more people gather, an unspoken culture starts to form. In business, it turns into an unwritten “way things are done around here.” To ensure a beneficial culture, start by creating a formal, written mission statement and set of values to broadcast to your crew.
Once established, communicate and reinforce those ideals company-wide. Repetition is the key to creating a purpose-driven culture. Imprint it onto new hires during orientation and onboarding. Start meetings by reading them or setting them as the first visual in a slideshow. Add it to internal memos or company headers.
Additionally, communication must be a two-way street. It’s important to establish open and receptive communication between managers and employees. Both sides want to feel seen and heard. Employees want their opinions to count, too.
Graciously accept criticism (hey, no one is perfect). Allow employees to submit suggestions at meetings, during brainstorming sessions, or through an anonymous suggestion box. Show them that leadership takes their requests seriously and implements recommended changes.
Finally, provide bonding opportunities among co-workers and leadership to facilitate community and communication. These occasions can be in- or outside the office. Some ideas include:
- Virtual or in-person meetings
- Team projects
- Birthday or hobby chat threads
- Dinner or lunches (catered at work or away from the office)
- Family days/nights
“The Golden Rule”
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Pick any dictator you learned about in grade school or any evil villain you read about in a fairy tale. Did you ever think, “That guy/gal had the right idea.”?
No, they had it all wrong (we’re sure we speak for everyone when we say that). They were power-hungry tyrants, telling people what/when/how to do things. And consider the demise of every one of them.
However, some business leaders accidentally take similar approaches, ruling with an iron fist. Trusting others can be challenging. Leaning on your own ideas is much easier. However, that kind of control ultimately kills employee motivation and the human spirit.
Like you, your employees need decision-making freedom, such as what hours they want to work, whether they’ll complete tasks remotely or on-site, or what projects or new roles they’d like to take on. Having that capability keeps them engaged and gives them a sense of ownership in the company, boosting productivity, innovation, and retention.
“Reputation Is Everything”
A positive reputation is invaluable and profitable.
We can probably all name a company or two off the top of our heads that we’ve heard bad things about. And if you’ve heard bad things about them, many other people have, too, because news travels fast in our interconnected world. How you run your business and treat people matters, especially on the internet, where it’s convenient to lodge a complaint.
Conscientious consumers no longer put up with bad leaders or poor practices. They’ll spend their money elsewhere, voting with their dollars to either support or not support a company.
“Variety Is the Spice of Life”
Without variety, your business can get stuck in a rut. Different personalities and cultures should come together to foster creativity and innovation. Strive for a diverse workforce to benefit from innovative solutions. Set up ways and means to facilitate workplace bonding (see ideas under ‘Talk It Out’).
“Knowledge Is Power”
Employees long for breadth and depth of knowledge: about their job, about your organization, about other positions they aspire to hold within your company, etc. Support your employees' career progression by offering access to mentors, training, certification programs, educational reimbursements, and promotions.
When employees have the option to progress their careers and long-term goals within your organization, they tend to stay longer and work more productively. They are energized and less bored or frustrated. Your business will profit as a result, with less stagnation and turnover. Additionally, you’ll spend less money replacing valuable employees.
Company Culture Drives Performance
In today’s competitive job market, you can be the outstanding organization others want to work for, do business with, and emulate because of your excellent company culture. You can have the satisfied and productive workforce others dream about.
It isn’t a one-time fix or a short-term investment. Developing a positive company culture is a deliberate daily duty, the results of which might not show for years to come, but the benefits far outweigh the effort.
