For many business owners and entrepreneurs, having a successful business means having a profitable one, but in order for companies to be the best they can be, building a company culture should be on the top of the list of priorities.
When businesses first start up, they typically include a small number of people, but as the company grows and more and more strangers begin working together, action should be taken to ensure these individuals will work well together and support each other. A thriving company culture will strengthen the team, keep employees motivated and ultimately keep the company moving forward.
Have a mission
Building a company culture often gets overlooked because entrepreneurs sometimes think that it should come about organically rather than be planned, but this just isn’t the case. Company culture needs to be encouraged and created by those in charge of the organization in the form of a well-crafted and thoughtful mission statement. When crafting a mission statement, try to envision how you would like your company to look in the future and as the head of the company, try to embody the culture everyday.
Find great people that fit the mission
As the leader you should be our human resources team, management leaders, and entry level employees should not only be qualified for their position, but they should also know and support the mission of the company and support company culture. Business owners need to have a purpose for trying to provide the service or product they have to offer the marketplace, and they should pass this mission to their employees. The employees should be able to see their importance in the company and feel like they are invaluable in making the mission of the company a reality.
Communication is essential
When you’re first starting out as a company and there are a few people in your stead, communication is important and fairly easy. As a company gets bigger and more employees are hired, communication is just as essential but not as simple as before. Especially in new business ventures where everything is new and processes are being worked on and perfected, give the employees a chance to be open with their suggestions so they can contribute to the success of the company.
Be open to criticism and be willing to make changes that might not be your idea, but could be better than the current system in place. If your employees are able to speak more freely and honestly in a non hostile work environment, they will be more motivated to see areas they can improve on and want to be better team members.
Give workers a place to interact with each other
Sure, your employees have chances to talk to one another throughout the day, but setting aside time for your employees to socialize will build the company culture exponentially. It might seem like a bad idea to have a social hour on company time, but the most successful companies, like Google and Apple, give their workers a chance to connect with each other, which helps build their teamwork when it’s time to get back to their desks.
Encourage personal growth
Employees should feel like the company cares about their happiness and success as much as the business’ success. Encourage healthy living by offering standing desks and promoting exercise by allowing employees to go on walking breaks each day. Beyond that, give your team resources and access to tools that will help them be better at their jobs to decrease stress at work.