Your company culture is at the heart of your business. It defines the shared values of your team, how people treat each other, and the working environment created both on-site and virtually. It comes as no surprise that a positive company culture is also essential when attracting, retaining, and motivating your employees.
Building a strong company culture is about defining and embodying the values that you want to see reflected in your team – from the top down. Join us in this exploration on how to develop a positive work culture for your business.
Define the Company Values
Company values are values that can be shared by everyone on the team. This isn’t the morning pep talk with chants and mantras. Rather, company values are a way to focus the passion your team already has for high-quality work and positive results. These values should be reflected in policies and attitudes throughout the company, not just printed on the wall.
Examples of well-selected company values include:
- Creating positive customer experiences
- Saving customers time whenever possible
- Pursuing sustainable alternatives at every turn
- Integrity in everything
- Making a positive difference
- Making products that work every time
- Solving everyday problems through design
- Providing a reliable service that clients can trust
Establish Open Communication
Open the channels of communication. Encourage open discussions at meetings and establish open-door policies throughout management. Build a routine of fast and friendly email replies and foster casual chat in the company chat channels.
Teamwork relies on the ability to communicate, and problem-solving relies on the ability to share problems. When everyone in the company feels able to share and to listen, your company culture will naturally be uplifted.
Guidance, Autonomy, and Productivity
Training and guidance are essential to helping employees know how to do their jobs. However, autonomy is the key to productivity and an enriching workplace. Once your team has the skills they need, give them the freedom to do their thing using their natural talents and styles of work. Teach your leadership to offer feedback instead of micro-managing and to bring the team together for collaboration meetings instead of trying to control every step of the process.
This type of autonomy is empowering and ultimately leads to greater productivity – and a lower rate of burnout.
Build Morale Every Day
Look for opportunities to lift morale. Put up holiday decorations and prioritise aesthetics in your office design. Cater a cake every week there is an employee birthday. Encourage employees who are uplifting to their co-workers and foster morale-building behaviours. Find reasons to celebrate and foster positivity that can help everyone have a better day.
Structured Employee Recognition
Employee recognition is essential when building a positive company culture. Employees need to know that their work is valued. Managers who offer positive feedback and words of encouragement are invaluable, but structured recognition is also important. Establishing awards for employees who reach set goals and who achieve unexpected success can encourage everyone to strive for success and ensure that your hardest workers know how valuable they are.
Integrated Work-Life Balance
Lastly, don’t forget to integrate work-life balance into your policies and culture. Encourage employees to take time off or work remotely if they’re not feeling well. Make sure that overtime is always voluntary, and that your employees have a chance to get plenty of sleep between shifts. Provide time off for family events, happy or sad. Providing life-enriching benefits is equally valuable.
Cross-training is also an element of work-life balance, as it not only enriches an employee’s experiences but also makes it easier to give essential employees time off when they need it.
Enhance Your Company Culture with Oracle Tree
If you are looking for ways to uplift your brand by building a positive company culture, we can help. Contact us for more information.
Want More Like This?
Here’s How To Build a Great Team For Your Small Business
How Lack of Autonomy Contributes to Burnout (And What To Do About It)
