9 Steps for Building Proper Company Culture

Building a company culture that nurtures and supports your employees is vital to your success. In general, a company culture defines the way one should behave within the company and consists of shared values established by the leaders and then communicated to the employees. You can build a successful positive culture if you have a clear plan on how to communicate it to the rest of the company employees and get them onboard. 

In this article, we will go over the importance of building a positive company culture and provide steps to achieve it.

Why building a positive culture is important

Most business experts and industry leaders believe that having a positive company culture that is successfully communicated and enacted is what separates the most prosperous organizations from the average ones. Building a positive workplace culture can help employees feel a sense of pride and ownership in the work that they do, and thus increases morale. If a positive company culture is absent, there is a higher risk of employee turnover, poor customer relations, and profit loss. 

While employees play a role in helping the workplace be more positive, it is the leaders that set the vision and example to follow. Leaders look to the future and make plans, while managers work in the present and communicate the vision.

Leaders shape the culture and managers endorse it. Depending on the size and style of the company, these roles may overlap (e.g., communication, problem-solving, change, and crisis management). The bottom line is that in order to build a positive culture in the company, it needs to start at the top. 

9 Ways to Build a Positive Company Culture

1. Define the Company’s Values

Finding commonly shared values will go a long way, and you will find it easy for others to get on board. These values need to be easy to understand and communicate.  They should reflect the core beliefs of the company and serve as a reminder to everyone in the organization.

Some of the most common values are: integrity, teamwork, excellence, customer experience, fairness, and accountability. Companies that know what their goals are have far more success aligning employees with them.

2. Communicate the Values

Create a mission and a vision that is readily shared with employees and embodied by the leadership. Integrate these statements in meetings, emails, company slogans, and especially in behavior. Employees want to be in the know and know what is expected of them.

3. Be Approachable

The way managers communicate with their employees sets the baseline for a positive experience. Be someone that employees want to come to with their questions or concerns. Connect and communicate often.

Give encouragement and be a helpful resource for your employees. Read more about being a leader others want to follow. 

4.  Build and Maintain Robust Relationships

Caring about others and showing empathy are linked to employee morale. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.  In the work setting, managers should be aware of and sensitive to their employees' feelings and goals.

In addition, don’t forget to communicate good news with your team when they have done something well. Acknowledging a job well done can go a long way in motivating team and individuals to continue demonstrating positive behavior.

5. Celebrate Successes

It is important to recognize successes when they happen, no matter how small or big they are. Acknowledging accomplishments not only boosts employee morale but also cements the values within the company culture. Celebrate wins with your team, this is an excellent way to create a positive work environment.

6. Cultivate Collaboration Among Your Employees

Creating an environment where employees collaborate and come together is key to innovation and problem-solving. Encourage participation from all members of the team by recognizing successes as a group effort. Have regular meetings that are structured with an agenda but allow for healthy dialogue and exchange of ideas so your team will feel included in decision-making. 

7. Foster Connection Between Employees

Make sure your team members are getting to work together and have the ability to meet others within the organization. Have managers help connect workers with others in the company to support each other. Consider the physical space of the workplace, is it conducive to collaboration and connection? 

8. Offer Stability

In our post-pandemic world, people are having to navigate uncertainty everywhere. It is important for employees to feel secure in their jobs. Offer stability through providing reasonable pay, job security, and ongoing training. These show that you are invested in an employee's long-term success just as much as they are invested in the growth of the business. 

Keep them updated about changes within the company including leadership changes, department changes, or any challenges the company may be facing. Communicate to your employees that they are a valuable part of the continued success of the organization. 

9. Respect Personal Time

In our digital age of getting everything we need right now, it is tempting for employers to shoot a quick email to get an answer over the weekend. However, everyone needs a break to rest and refresh.

Respecting the boundaries of the workplace and giving employees ample time to recharge will go a long way as employees will appreciate a boss that allows them to focus on their personal lives. Remember that there is life outside of work, and you too can thrive if you permit yourself to rest as well.

These are just some of the ways that you can build a positive company culture. There are plenty more out there, but these fundamental steps are a great place to start your business on the right track to a company culture the entire team can get behind.

Employees want more than a paycheck, they want to have a positive experience where they spend a huge portion of their time. When employees feel supported, valued, and engaged, it fosters a sense of pride and ownership. By creating a positive company culture, you are ensuring that you keep your best employees and are increasing the success of your business.

The most important thing is to be consistent in communication and practice empathy so that everyone feels heard and supported no matter their position within the company. If leaders model these values, then they will become part of the company's DNA and create an atmosphere for success.

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