8 Strategies to Build a Great Company Culture

The problem with the issue of company culture lies in the fact that it’s the most important non-quantifiable factor in your company’s growth. In other words, while you know it’s necessary and that it brings growth, you have no way of knowing just how much you stand to gain from it. Moreover, a lot of people don’t even know where to start building the company culture so here are eight strategies to help you out.

1. Clean straightforward communication

The first thing you need to understand about building a company culture is the fact that it rests on clean and straightforward communication more than anything else. Regardless of the idea, you need means to pass it down the chain of command and receive feedback. Furthermore, transparency and openness of communication should be the core of your corporate values, regardless of your starting point. This practice alone avoids potential misunderstandings and makes coordination simpler and more efficient.

2. Explain the importance of company culture

Another thing you need to focus on is explaining the company culture to your staff. One of the ways to do so is by presenting them with social proof. Sure, your company needs to stand for something, yet the importance of this might elude even some of the most dedicated employees. Therefore, you need to find a way to show them how a positive company culture helps boost productivity, increases marketability and improves the unity in the workplace. It would also be quite handy to find some statistics to back up your theory. For instance, companies with a strong culture have four times as much revenue growth as those without it.

3. Storytelling

Tell a story about your journey every step of the way in order to make people truly care. What we mean by this is that you need to find a way to build a great company structure by employing various storytelling methods. Everyone likes a story about the underdog success, however, the way in which you present it may be equally as important. Try not to focus too much on your personal achievements. After all, the point of this story is not there merely to inflate your ego. Instead, talk about the people who made it all possible. Talk about your team, your customers and your partners. By making this into their story, you’ll get them personally involved in the future of your company, which brings us to the next point…

4. Personal motivation

The next issue we need to talk about is the personal motivation. What this means is that the people who are responsible for the success of the company have a personal motivation to see the company succeed. For instance, if you promise a hefty bonus for the successful completion of a project, you can have people invest some extra effort to see this through.

On the other hand, not all of your employees are fiscally-oriented. For some, the prospect of advancement is far more important. Even those who aim to leave your company at one point have something to gain from the company’s boost in status. Let’s face it, being a team leader in a renowned company is more impressive than being the head of an unknown startup. Just make sure to break things down in a way that everyone will understand and the results are bound to follow.

5. An appealing workplace

The next thing you need to understand is the fact that inanimate factors affect your company structure, as well. For instance, working in a poorly lit, underequipped, musky environment speaks volumes of your company. It’s not only an indication of your low financial status but also of your low regard for the well-being of your staff. This is why even the smallest of startups need to consider finding some real office space.

The problem with this idea lies in the fact that teams of 1-5 people seldom have a way of financially justifying the need to lease an office. Instead, they should probably look for a nearby shared office space. For instance, instead of running a home-based organization, entrepreneurs may look for a serviced office. In this way, you get the most cost-efficiency out of your headquarters situation and get to work to your full capacity.

6. High level of autonomy

The very feeling of having someone watch over their shoulder before they make a move is unsettling to say the very least. First of all, it indicates a clear lack of trust in their abilities. Second, it limits your own functionality, seeing as how it distracts you from your main tasks. Of course, we’re not claiming that you should let every single person in the company make their own independent choices. Nevertheless, everyone needs to have at least some degree of autonomy regarding the tasks they are in charge of.

7. Higher talent appeal

By improving the infrastructure of your company and learning how to market it properly, you’ll not only make it a better place to work at but also a more appealing company to work for. In other words, once you start hiring people, you’ll get letters of recommendation from more promising candidates, people with more experience and better letters of recommendation. This also needs to be one of the things you keep in mind when building a company culture.

8. Don’t forget to have fun

While a lot of people don’t see how fun and professionalism go hand in hand, there’s a statistic claiming that happy employees work 12 percent better. Sure, distracting people from their core tasks isn’t something that should be tolerated but there’s a difference between a workplace where everyone does what they like and a place with a bit more relaxed atmosphere. While most employers fear that their company could easily descend into anarchy, this line isn’t nearly as thin as they fear, which is why this isn’t something that can just happen spontaneously.

In conclusion

As you can see, the benefits of a great company culture are so numerous that they’re hard to count and by creating and enforcing the right set of corporate values, you get to enjoy all of these perks. The key thing here is not to allow yourself to get sidetracked by traditional myths and misconceptions about an effective workplace. The best thing about company culture is that it can be started while you have three employees and still have it remain relevant by the time you reach 300.

Author Bio:

Lauren Wiseman is marketing specialist, contributor to bizzmarkblog.com  and entrepreneur. She helps clients grow their personal and professional brands in fast-changing and demanding market, strongly believing in a holistic approach to business.

 

 

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