How to Nurture a Positive Company Culture
The corporate world is as varied as the people who form it. Different personalities, attitudes, and goals all shape the environment of a company. With time, this mix becomes a sort of personality for the company itself.
Basically, it forms the company culture.
What Is Company Culture?
Company culture can be defined as a set of values, attitudes, and practices that define an organization. In other words, a shared ethos of a company.
It can be difficult to explain, but it is evident in the way an organization's people interact with each other, the values they hold, and decisions they make.
Of course, because it is the combined result of all these factors, company culture impacts every facet of your business.
Consequences of Disregarding Company Culture
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same is true of any company. When the people don’t share at least similar values and attitudes, conflict is sure to arise.
While some conflict will always occur among groups of people, this should be kept at the minimum.
Disregarding how your team works together can create more conflict and build lasting problems that cannot be easily fixed.
That is why prevention is the best medicine.
How to Achieve a Positive Company Culture?
Creating a good company environment is not always easy, but there are a few simple guidelines.
1. Hire people that can thrive in your company.
Not everyone approaches work in the same way. If your company is more focused on hierarchy and discipline, hiring someone who is not well suited for that environment can make them feel stifled. And the opposite is true as well. Someone looking for a hierarchical structure would feel lost in a more loosely structured company.
So, it's essential to know what kind of company you have, and what kind of people you need.
2. Be more team-oriented.
A company is a collective, not just a group of individuals. Therefore, fostering good relationships between colleagues is crucial for success. This can be accomplished in many different ways. For example, team-building exercises, friendly discussion forums, keeping people in the loop about what’s going on in the company, and more.
3. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
No matter what kind of organization you have, it is crucial that everyone knows exactly what the goal is and how you will achieve it. Make sure every employee knows what is expected of them and is well informed about any changes in the company.
When people are more informed, they will be more confident in their work. Conversely, confusion and ignorance will breed fear and conflict.
4. Make every voice heard.
Good ideas can come from anywhere. When an employee can speak their mind and have their opinion heard, they feel like a part of the collective. When that is not the case, people will feel alienated. Set up a way for all employees to provide insights, opinions, and suggestions. Your employees will feel valued, and your company will benefit from new perspectives.
These simple guidelines might be evident to some, but they are often overlooked. And companies suffer because of it.
Roango and Company Culture
Roango makes everything more accessible and streamlined, including company culture.
We provide company culture tests, simple questionnaires where you select answers to specific questions related to the ideal working environment. Then, based on your responses, Roango generates a graph of your preferences that can be compared to the graphs of potential employees or companies.
This makes it easier to select work environments that suit you or new talent that have a much better chance of fitting in with the company.
The culture test can be found in your Roango settings under Culture, both in Talent and Company accounts.
Roango Culture Types
Here are some overviews of the different types of cultures that our questionnaire will sort you into. Of course, almost no one will fit in perfectly with just one type, so Roango will sort your results in a graph showing how much you fit in each type and show your dominant choice.
Clan type - Collaborate Culture
This type is characterized by friendliness in the workplace, almost like a family structure. Leaders are seen as mentors or paternal figures, and the organization is held together by loyalty and tradition. Above all else, this type of culture promotes teamwork, participation, and consensus.
Adhocracy Type - Create Culture
Adhocracy is a more dynamic and creative work environment promoting innovation and risk-taking. Success is determined by new growth and new product creation. Since creativity is crucial here, this type of organization promotes individual initiative and freedom.
Hierarchy Type - Control Culture
The most formalized and structured workplace is the hierarchy type. Leaders are efficient above all else, and the company promotes procedures and coordination. The most important thing is to keep the company functioning smoothly. The long-term goals are stability and results, paired with efficient execution of tasks. This type of organization provides work stability and security.
Market Type - Compete Culture
The market type is a results-based workplace that emphasizes targets, deadlines, and getting things done. People are competitive, and even the leaders are seen as rivals. High expectations and focus on winning are what defines this type of organization. Market dominance, achieving your goals, and great metrics is the definition of success. Therefore, the organization promotes competition above all else.
Company culture is a crucial aspect of running a successful business. Nurturing a positive environment that aligns with the company's goals can help you grow in a stable and efficient manner. Conversely, ignoring it can lead to massive problems and costs in the long run.
People are complex beings, and tensions can arise when many spend a significant amount of time in the same place. However, with careful dedication and maybe a little bit of help from Roango, your company can be the harmonious collective that you know it can be.