Culture is the key to company success
Bosses, listen up: Taking care of people and culture in the workplace is so important. Here's why....
Are you a boss? Whether developing your Startup or in charge of an area in a large corporation: taking care of your company culture is A MUST. You have to take care of your people!
And that has to come from the top. Boss Manager, listen up!
The ethos is - teams are important; people are important; culture is important. Making sure your workplace is an inclusive culture. Making sure people are felt valuable and what they give is appreciated as valuable.
Then, people become passionate about what they do. They become passionate through intrinsic motivation and wanting to do things together. So, culture is the key as a core tenant. Even having OKRs around culture.
Company culture is the vibe of a workplace. It's the set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that define how people interact with each other and with the company itself. A strong company culture is like the glue that holds a company together and helps it achieve its goals.
Why is company culture so important? Well, for starters, it can help you attract and retain top talent. Employees are more likely to want to work for and stay with companies that have a positive culture and a sense of community.
A strong company culture can also boost employee engagement and productivity. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they're more likely to be engaged in their work and put in their best effort.
My favorite, and so important: a strong company culture can drive innovation. When employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and taking risks, they're more likely to come up with new and innovative solutions.
Do this:
Start with a clear definition of your company's values and mission. What does your company stand for? What are its core values? Once you have a clear understanding of your company's values and mission, you can start to communicate them to your employees and build a culture around them. Then building culture into the goals/OKRS of the company or org is critical, to keep everyone accountable to keep culture and people front and center.
Hire the right people. When hiring new employees, look for people who share your company's values and mission. This will help to create a more cohesive and aligned culture. When I interview new hires, I am looking at their experience and talent, yes. But I am acutely focused on their soft skills - how will they interact with others, how will they motivate others, how will they work in a team, and how will they make a difference?
Create a positive and supportive work environment. Make sure that your employees have a place to work where they feel comfortable and respected. This includes providing them with the tools and resources they need, as well as creating a supportive and collaborative work environment. Apart from getting shit done, much of my work leading PMOs and program managers centers around creating systems and trainings for the teams to be able to work well together. Productivity comes from strong team work, and strong team work relies on people being able to thrive in the work place.
Recognize and reward your employees. Let your employees know that you appreciate their hard work and dedication. This can be done through formal rewards programs, or simply by expressing your gratitude on a regular basis. Personally, I dig offsites, holiday parties, and any culture event that brings people together. In my last 2 jobs, I created ‘First Fridays’, as just one of my culture events for the teams - we’d gather for an hour on the first Friday of the month over pizza or coffee, to just praise each other’s work, nothing else. Other ideas are AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with the leaders, town halls and super fun offsites where your employees can bond. My last offsite I had my team learn how to sail together!
Lead by example. As a leader, it is important to set the tone for your company culture. Be sure to embody the values that you want to see in your employees. I want to always lead by example. That means me getting in there in the trenches solving problems and helping the teams be amazing. If we need to get a release out, like launching Paramount+ in 2021, I’ll stay up overnight and de-bug issues alongside engineers, because that is what has to be done!
Building a strong company culture takes time and effort, but it's worth it. A strong company culture can help you to attract and retain top talent, boost employee engagement and productivity, and drive innovation.
Leaders, do this:
Be transparent and open with your employees. Communication is key in any company, but it's especially important in startups and other companies with a younger workforce. Be transparent with your employees about the company's goals, challenges, and successes.
Encourage feedback and collaboration. Create a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback. Encourage collaboration between teams and departments.
Celebrate successes. Take the time to celebrate your team's successes, both big and small. This will help to create a positive and motivating work environment.
Offer flexible work arrangements. The Pandemic taught us that working from home doesn’t kill productivity. Celebrate and foster flexible work arrangements, such as the ability to work remotely or to have flexible hours. Offering flexible work arrangements can help you to attract and retain top talent going forward. Gone are the days where you have to move to the most expensive Tech area in the US, Silicon Valley, to get your dream tech job. In fact, a birdy told me recently that some tech companies are moving their hiring pool to outside of California due to cost. Times are a changin’.
Create a more inclusive and welcoming work environment. Make sure that your work environment is inclusive and welcoming to all employees, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors. DEI is it. It’s non-negotiable.
Building a strong company culture is essential for any business that wants to succeed. By following these tips, you can create a culture that's friendly, collaborative, and inclusive. You’ll also shine and your employees, most of all, will be passionate for the journey you all undertake together.
xo,
Gilli