Building a good company culture takes work. It becomes one of the keys to small business success. But suppose something’s not right?Does your company culture leave something to be desired? You could find yourself in danger of losing valuable talent and customers.
Check these five tips on how to change company culture.
1. R.E.S.P.E.C.T
What is company culture? Company culture could be described as the character of the company, its management, its employees and the type of customer it attracts. But that’s just scratching the surface. You might have an idea of what your company culture appears to be and then when you dig deeper, you could find a more negative atmosphere seeping through the cracks.
At the heart of most good companies is a culture of mutual respect that starts from the top and trickles down to the cleaning crew at night. Studies show employees are 26 percent more likely to leave their jobs if they feel there is a lack of respect between colleagues. Before employees head for the door, pay attention to how people treat each other and not only in face-to-face interactions. Look for signs of purposeful miscommunication and overbearing criticism and put a stop to the negativity.
2. Bad Managers
As boss you can’t be everywhere all the time, so you need to rely on your managers to keep the operation running smoothly and efficiently — but there’s more at stake than just meeting deadlines and staying on budget. Make your managers directly responsible for setting a positive company culture. If they come across as inflexible and unapproachable, that impacts your employees. Employees who rate their managers negatively are four times more likely to interview for other positions when compared to their peers. So make sure your managers create and nurture a positive workplace experience on a daily basis. Make trust and open communication key. It the helps turn around a bad vibe.
3. Room for Growth
Employees don’t want to be stagnant in their positions. And they don’t want their company to be stagnant either. Your talent may come straight out of college? Or perhaps you employ people who have been in the workforce for decades. In either case, an atmosphere of learning and growth goes a long way toward promoting a great company culture. Consider cross training employees to keep everyone challenged or sporadically sign team members up for educational training to improve business practices.
The more you can teach employees from your own experiences as well as outside sources, the more your staff will feel valued and that your company environment makes it worth sticking around. The opportunities you provide create passion and passion creates a unifying bond, boost morale and is a motivation for how to change company culture. As an added bonus, according to a Gallup study, companies that have made a strategic investment in employee development report 11 percent greater profitability.
4. Out of Touch
If your company has grown to the point you don’t have a handle on the day-to-day issues, you could be overlooking some key points negatively impacting your company culture. It might seem like a small thing, but a business that is consistently understaffed puts a lot of pressure and stress on employees and that stress is inevitably transmitted to customers and clients. Make sure you schedule (and/or hire) enough people to ensure employees can do their best work.
Likewise, a company using old technology or outdated systems is not only not servicing its customers to the best of its ability, it’s also putting unreasonable expectations on staff to get the work done efficiently. Stay on top of new tools so your company is always on the cutting edge.
5. Acknowledgement and More
You see how your company culture can improve if you make it your mission to provide better feedback to your employees. You also need to recognize them for a job well-done. And show appreciation for their efforts. Everyone wants to be acknowledged for working hard. This proves true even if it’s just a positive word given in passing. A company culture of respect and self-worth thrives when employees feel their efforts get noticed. And it helps if managers can see their individual talents.
Keep yourself open to listening to employee suggestions for ways to improve their working situation. For example, a flexible schedule helps employee achieve a better work/life balance. Try implementing work at home days for long commuters. Acknowledge individual employee needs This shows you trust and respect their commitment to the business.
Learning how to change company culture starts with you. Take the time to notice the obvious and more subtle signs your company culture needs fine tuning and you’ll reap the rewards of a motivated, engaged staff, helping you create a better business.
