4 Ways to Improve Company Culture
One of our favorite and least useful things to say is–whether your organization has a culture or not isn’t the question; the question is: Do you have the company culture you want?
It’s a favorite because it is true. Every organization has a culture, and very few are intentionally cultivated.
It’s fairly useless because it is not particularly helpful. It might be a bit provocative, but in itself, it provides no course of action, clarity, or guidance.
So, what is to be done if you have a company culture you don’t want? Here are four ideas that may be helpful.
It Starts with Values.
Culture is the lived values of the organization. Not the ones on the wall or in the handbook, but the values that are demonstrated in decisions, actions, and language of your leaders and line staff every day. If there’s a gap between what you say your values are and how you and your teams actually live and lead in the organization, narrow it, and narrow it now. How do you know if there’s a gap? Ask. Use employee listening groups to understand how team members experience your organization and if that aligns with how you want it to be experienced.
Consistency Counts.
Culture isn’t just what you preach; it’s what you permit. When you manage by exception, you will have a culture of exception. If your highest value is in allowing the individual to be an individual, then perhaps this is right for you. If your highest value is service, or quality, or profitability (or…. You get the idea), then consistency is key. Own the exceptions you’ve made in the past, do a reset on expectations, then hold people accountable. Oh, one friendly caution–only set expectations on things you’re willing to follow through on.
Every Champion Loses Eventually.
Culture champions, those bright and shining examples that epitomize the culture you aspire to have, are human. They will have bad days. They will fall down. They will fail. If the company culture you are building is predicated on people (even if that person is you), not processes, it is only a matter of time before your culture fails too. Processes that support culture can range from employee feedback loops to team action planning to compensation and reward strategies.
Be LSR Focused.
Culture is built by developing a cadence of expectation through the repetitive use of Language, Structures, Rituals (LSR). Language, the words you use, matter, so if you suggest you are a top-down driven autocracy, then don’t use inclusive or participative language (and vice-versa). Structures are the physical and psychological elements that shape behavior. For example, if you are wanting to have a culture of belonging, then creating spaces for people to be together would be important. Rituals are the routines that establish rhythms and expectations for your organization’s members. Examples could be standup meetings to start a shift, three questions used to check in on weekly priorities, or regular celebrations to recognize excellence.
It takes equal parts effort, time, and patience to build a better culture. You can’t (and shouldn’t) do it on your own. Maybe start with one idea above, bring it to your team, and remake it into something that works for your organization. We love to hear stories of how companies are improving their culture, so let us know how it goes. And, if you want to bounce an idea around or need a little help, reach out. We love this stuff.
