Healthy Culture: How Your Business is Affected: Part 1
Strategy and finances are not the only facets of a successful company, but they are usually what companies concentrate on. It might not seem obvious, but company culture plays a very important role too. It can affect your branding, marketing, and day-to-day operations, and how the public views your company. For instance when we consider brands like Apple, Google, and Starbucks, not only do their logos and products come to mind, but a variety of positive qualities: warmth, efficiency, fun, excellence, etc. These attributes are thanks in part to each company’s positive business culture.
Why Culture is so Important
Giving your employees a feeling of ownership over their jobs ensures that they feel empowered, and empowerment encourages innovative thinking. This all begins with a healthy workplace culture. If people feel invisible or stifled in their work place, they’ll do the bare minimum expected of them. It’s human nature to want to feel like we are part of something and that we have some control over our lives. Don’t forget that your brand is comprised of the individuals in your company. So nurturing a good company culture isn’t just the responsibility of the HR department, but of everyone, from the CEO to the janitor.
If you are not yet convinced, here are some of the obvious advantages of cultivating a healthy culture.
- Focus – When people are focused on the same goal, that goal is more easily attained. Businesses that have a healthy culture, have employees that care about the collective goal and sincerely endeavor to reach it. Unhealthy cultures can bring about cynicism because individuals do not feel connected to the goal. Their goal is to simply get through the day.
- Cohesion – Healthy culture can bring about strong communication in good and bad times. In a place where there is unhealthy culture people may frequently resent being told what to do because they don’t feel their opinions are heard or appreciated. Whenever a problem occurs they may avoid pointing it out because they fear backlash.
- Motivation – A determined workforce gets things done. That might seem apparent, but companies that don’t pay attention to the health of their culture could be struggling when it comes to productivity. Being motivated to work hard is a trait that ought to be present in every individual in the company if the culture is healthy.
Measuring the Cultural Health of Your Company
You should assess your company’s culture a few times a year. How can you do this? First, take a look at how your workers are managed. It is true that a few individuals may never be happy but, in general, if the consensus is unfavorable you may start thinking about adjustments to improve the culture to help your business. Tune in soon for a few tips on making your company culture more positive.
