Workplace Culture – Where to Start?

Everyone knows culture matters — now more than ever — but many Business Leaders are unsure how to influence and evolve it.
Having a thriving and robust workplace culture can be a competitive advantage for any business in any market.

Culture is the collective values, standards and ideals of business. It’s not always easy to see, but a strong culture forms an aligned workplace. It affects company performance, employee wellbeing, customer satisfaction and ultimately, your bottom line.

Here are some straightforward strategies to improve your work culture in ways that align with your company’s values and objectives.

Decide what you would like to address within your business
When you determine your intentions, it becomes simpler to create a culture that fits. Remember, when your workplace culture is aligned with business objectives, everyone, including you; benefits!

Start here:
Look at your mission, vision, and values and decide whether they truly reflect the beliefs and philosophies of your workplace.

Spend time planning your ultimate culture structure
Be the change maker within your workplace and spend a decent amount of time and energy designing the elements of your new workplace culture. Creating a culture adopted by all employees and unique to your business takes time, patience and needs to be thought out.

Examine every aspect of your workplace:

• How your organisation is managed, the systems, procedures, structure, hierarchy, limitations, and more
• Recruiting, selection, on-boarding, training and development methods
• Performance management processes and work/life balance policies, as well as workplace traditions.
• Look into what people place at their desks, what the workplace hangs on its walls, how it allocates space and offices and the spaces staff use.

Get buy-in from management & employees
Changing culture requires buy-in from everyone within the workplace – otherwise, it risks not being adopted. Your business leaders should be the face of any culture change. However, employees must also be enthusiastic about the new culture as they experience it day-to-day.

The trick in selling your culture transformation is to articulate changes to your audience in a way they can relate to. If presenting to managers or CFO’s show, the financial impact of a negative workplace culture v’s transformed workplace culture. If you are presenting to employees, show them how the new culture will change their work-life-balance.