At the heart of any successful business is the culture it has created. A company’s culture indicates what kind of work its employees do, how they relate to one another, and even defines who an organization is. However, creating a great culture doesn’t just happen organically—it requires dedicated leadership that can prioritize company values and maintains them throughout growth.
It’s no secret that forming a great company culture is a challenge, but there are some key attributes, however, that set strong cultures apart. How do you know if your efforts are positively affecting the company culture?
The following are examples of how a company’s culture can influence the success or failure of a business.
1. Employ the Right People
Companies with strong cultures employ the best people. While this isn’t always true, by definition, a company with a great culture can attract wonderful people who are committed to being part of the team. In contrast, companies that appeal only to those that are looking for a job tend not to have strong cultures. A good culture attracts great people who want to be part of it and enjoy the work they do for the company. To ensure that your employees are happy with their role and working environment search up inpulse.com—an employee survey platform that can be used to measure how your employees feel about the company.
2. Show Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
When companies set clear expectations and offer support, they can foster an environment that improves inclusion and diversity. This culture is often created through the hiring process and is sustained by providing the training, tools, and language necessary to cultivate an understanding of differences among employees. An inclusive company culture ensures people from different backgrounds are respected and heard, allowing for a diverse team of employees who work well with one another.
3. Build Teamwork and Trust
A great culture builds a sense of community and encourages everyone to participate. Strong teams are not just collections of individuals, but groups that work together to achieve common goals. A good culture nurtures workers by encouraging them to solve problems and be innovative, while respecting each person’s input and ideas. When team members trust one another they are much more effective because they are willing to share their ideas with others.
4. Use Accountability Tactics
When employees feel accountable for their work, they are more likely to use their strengths to achieve success. An effective company culture supports this accountability by holding individuals and teams responsible for the quality of their work. Once people understand that they do not have free rein to pursue dreams that don’t serve the collective benefit of the team, they can better leverage their gifts and talents to help make projects a success.
5. Provide Enjoyment and Ensure Engagement
A strong culture is one that people are willing to work hard for and that inspires enthusiasm, a sense of accomplishment, and a passion for the work they do. When team members are engaged in their jobs profit margins and quality tend to improve significantly as a result. This culture is supported by the freedom to pursue and share ideas, an understanding of the big picture, and a commitment from all members of the team that it will be achieved.
Good company culture is often a result of the leader’s philosophy, but this doesn’t mean that great culture isn’t possible. Instead, it means that whoever is in charge of building a culture should embrace the responsibility and begin to nurture positive attributes they want used to guide the company into the future.
