Whether you're a manager or a C-level executive, you want your employees to love where they work. Why? Simply put: Happy employees are productive employees.
An article by the Herald-Tribune accurately describes company culture as "an invisible force running through your organization" and "an unwritten set of rules for working together." You may not see it, but your company culture directly impacts how everyone works at your organization. Here are four tips to help improve your company culture, and in turn, drive your company's success.
Practice What You Preach
As the adage says "lead by example." When your leadership team is fully engaged and enthusiastic about their respective roles in the organization, employees are encouraged to follow suit. Ask your management team to model the behavior that embodies your company's objectives and that you want employees to emulate. Some of those objects may be mutual respect for colleagues, optimum internal and external customer service, and company pride and loyalty. These top-down improvements in your employee culture will trickle down and be more effective in creating a positive and thriving company culture than expecting your employees to build one on their own.
Inspire Creative Team Building
Regardless of what you call employees who work together - teams, work groups, squads, or whatever the buzzword is for the year - great teamwork is an effective way to improve company culture. Whether you assign employees to teams or permit employees to select their own, emphasize talent management, and work with employees' talents. This will not only encourage the spirit of collaboration and inspire a "we're all in this together" mindset but also help you succeed as a team and business.
Plan for Employee Recognition
Forbes suggests that employee recognition is the most important driving factor for employee engagement. Consider implementing an employee recognition program and involve employees in the planning process so that they have ownership and pride in the company's program. Make room in the budget, whether it's for paid lunch or engraved award plaques. Emphasize the importance of the awards to your employees by marking their calendars so that everybody - especially upper management - can celebrate your company's success.
Develop Employees for Trial and Error
When running (or working for) a business, mistakes are bound to happen. Rather than immediately penalizing employees for honest mistakes, use mistakes for teaching best practices. When given a chance to learn from their mistakes, employees may increasingly recognize the value of working for an understanding company like yours. Ultimately, this can result in improved loyalty and better productivity in the future.
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