“Company Culture” is a buzzword in the world of business. Strong company culture is something that all leaders strive for and without it, they risk losing employees and clients. In a society where it can seem like the only thing that matters is making the next sale, it is important to slow down and examine what values and beliefs your company holds higher than the rest.
Let’s break down the different parts of a company’s culture and elements that motivate employees.
4 Ways to Display Company Culture
Mission Statement: A short statement that points toward the root of why an organization exists. The goal of a mission statement is to tell the world why you are in business and what product or service you provide. To employees, the mission statement justifies that the work they are doing is important. Your mission statement should be unique for your brand and should be specific.
Example: PayPal’s mission statement is: “To build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.” They have clearly stated what they plan to accomplish in an easy-to-understand way. Customers and employees won’t question what it is they do.
Vision Statement: Your vision statement should explain where your company aims to go in the future. It should answer the question of what your business will look like in 5 years, 10 years, and beyond. It helps to motivate employees as they complete their day-to-day work and lets your customers know that you have goals you want to accomplish.
Start crafting your vision statement with something like “We envision a world where..” or “We will become…”
Values: The things that you believe are important and that shape the way you live and work are your company values. These values must be held by all of your employees for the culture to be upheld. Once you have identified your values, they should be visible and reinforced by all employees frequently.
An example of values for your company could be “ethics, transparency, responsibility, professionalism, and teamwork.”
Culture Deck: The best way to display your company culture to your employees and your customers is by creating a culture deck. Broadly speaking, a culture deck is a slideshow that includes all the parts of your company culture. This includes your vision, mission, and values. More specifically it covers how you conduct business, who you hire, and the expectations you have for employees.
A culture deck should be presented to your team and they should be expected to know its content. Yearly reviews of the culture deck as a whole and quarterly reviews of goals and values are important to fostering a productive work environment.
Elements That Motivate Employees to Maintain a Positive Culture
Companies that see low turnover among employees and that have a positive culture seem to all have a few elements in common. These elements are not unattainable and can be implemented into your company with the help of training guidelines
A Manager Who Understand and Motivates Employees
One of the primary reasons why employees quit is because they feel underappreciated and undervalued. This tends to be linked to a manager or supervisor who they feel doesn’t listen to what they have to say and does not treat them with the respect they deserve. When you have a strategic system for rewarding employees who meet goals and listening when problems arise, employees will feel more motivated to stay with a company.
A Sense of Purpose
Why am I even here? This is a question that a lot of employees ask themselves in their daily work life. If an employee doesn’t feel like the work they do is valuable it will show in what they produce and how they act. Clearly stating, and reviewing regularly, your mission and vision statement can help to ingrain a sense of purpose into the work.
The Opportunity for Growth
Companies that stress the opportunity for internal growth see longer employee engagement. If an employee enjoys their job but doesn’t see an avenue for growth (promotion, salary increase) then they will begin to look for a new position elsewhere. This can be remedied by stressing that you hire internally for upper management positions, providing opportunities for employees to receive training for new jobs, and reviewing salaries yearly.
How to Change the Culture
Now that you have a better understanding of different elements that make a positive company culture and ways to record your cultural expectations, it is time to ask the question, “how do I change the culture my company already has?” Don’t overthink the process, it doesn’t have to be hard, but it does take work.
Step 1: Examine The Current State of your Company Culture
If you are coming to this article it’s probably because you’ve realized that the atmosphere in your company needs to change. Realizing this is a great step in the right direction. You care about your employees and want to make sure that you are facilitating an environment that is uplifting and is representative of your values.
Administering a company survey is an easy way to gauge the current state of your company culture. Ask questions like “is your opinion valued?” and “do you feel recognized for your hard work?” Make sure the survey is done anonymously to guarantee the most accurate results.
Step 2: Define Your Desired Company Culture
When you know where you currently are it can be easier to identify where you want to be in the future. Listen to the thoughts and concerns of your employees and use them as a guide. Create your mission statement, vision statement, and values. When you have defined each part, compile it into a culture deck.
Step 3: Identify The Changes You Need to Make
Now that you know where you are and where you want to be in the future, it is time to make changes. Start by sharing the culture deck with your team. Meet with employees regularly, both as a group and individually, to reinforce standards. For larger areas that need to be fixed, training sessions with HR can go a long way.
Create Your Own Company Culture!
Now that you have read about our 3 steps to get started, it’s time to implement them in your own company! Trust us, it’s easier than you think and your employees will be excited for the changes to come. Need help creating a culture deck or want to talk through your plan with one of our experts? Contact us today!
