For so long Warriors fans have ridden a roller coaster of highs and (mostly) lows as their
beloved NRL team failed to deliver on its promise year after year. But they’re so talented,
people would say. It’s so disappointing. I just don’t understand whey they can’t get it
together.
In 2018 the Warriors started off their season with a glint in their eye, some steely resolve
and a 5-0 winning streak. They were on the upswing, there was a massive surge in local
support, and fans and commentators believed it was all down to a shift in the team culture.
Creating and maintaining a healthy culture is one of the most vital things you can do for
your business. What is business culture? Put simply, it’s the image you present to the world
every day, built one interaction at a time. Internally, company culture is crucial to staff
retention, performance, and health of a great working environment.
American author Steve Pavlina boasts an all-encompassing list of corporate (and personal)
values on his website (link below). If building company culture is a priority for you, have a
look and decide on a dozen or so which encapsulate the culture you’re trying to achieve.
What are your company’s values? Is accountability integral to your success? Availability?
Integrity? Discipline? Excellence? How about honesty? Timeliness? Financial success?
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2004/11/list-of-values/
High Standards
From your initial twelve whittle it down to a few which absolutely cannot be compromised
on with regard to the way your business operates. These are your core values, and the
foundations on which you can build a thriving company culture. Whether that ends up
soaring like a skyscraper or shaky like a shantytown dwelling depends on a few factors.
Like most things within a healthy business environment, leadership sets the tone for the
culture within a company. Think about how you wish to be seen by staff and clients, both as
a manager and a leader. You may occasionally fall short, but do attempt to hold yourself to a
higher standard than that which you expect of co-workers. You are the benchmark.
If you want to naff off at 3pm, have all your company functions at the strip club and sleep
off hangovers under the boardroom table, fine. That’s your prerogative. But your staff are
going to see that as an example.
‘Do as I say, not as I do’ doesn’t cut it in these situations. You’ll have fun, sure, but you won’t
get anything like the results you want. And what about staff who don’t want to party like
the Wolf of Wall Street? They’ll quit, and unhappy employees and huge staff turnover are
guaranteed to put a downer on your attempts at culture.
Great leaders inspire trust in employees, which in turn gives way to motivation,
commitment, and increased buy-in to the company ethos.
Working towards a common goal is a huge part of developing best business culture. Staff
need to share a vision, but also need to be included in it. If the people within your work
environment have something to work towards, which they have had a hand in establishing,
it can only strengthen their bonds and build a feeling of camaraderie. That said, internal
competition in the pursuit of these goals can really bring out the best in people.
Best Business Culture
Best business culture doesn’t dictate that you must be best friends with all your workmates,
but enjoying time together away from an office environment – whether it’s establishing KPIs
at an off-site location, midweek football or pints at the pub – adds another layer to the
culture of your organisation. Yes, work is called work for a reason. But if staff are engaged,
encouraged and motivated then fun will be a natural by-product.
Keeping the lines of communication clear, concise, and working both ways plays a big part in
the maintenance of great company culture. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that people
don’t like office secrets or being left in the dark – although obviously on a need to know
basis. Gossip and speculation about company affairs can build mistrust and spread
misinformation, both internally and externally.
In addition, the tone of your communication really does matter. Whether it’s earth
shattering news or the day to day drudgery, announce what you need to impart calmly,
clearly, and welcoming any opportunity for questions or feedback. Valuing staff and their
input is crucial to the establishment of a great company culture.
But the culture at my company sucks, I hear you say. Nobody meant for it to happen that
way, but there’s less team spirit than the Eden Park stands when the Blues play. Fret not,
my friend. The upside of a less than ideal company culture is that the concept is fluid, and
can be turned around. Your sucky environment is not set in stone.
Firstly, you need an honest assessment of where your culture is currently at. Feedback from
staff can be crucial here. A word of warning: hearing some less than positive feedback may
be difficult, but awareness of your starting point is crucial to build solid foundations.
Importantly, what you don’t want to be like is just as important as what you do. To this end,
experience of companies with toxic or unhealthy culture can be invaluable.
While what’s wrong can’t be ignored, focusing on what’s right builds your culture on a
foundation of positivity. When your framework’s in place, revision on an annual basis can
keep the growth of your company culture strong, resilient and healthy.
Like anything worthwhile, that tired but spot on adage applies to the creation of a great
business culture. You can’t just want it, you have to work at it.
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