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Five ways to develop the right culture in your organisation
Your People ARE your Culture
Culture is one of those words that we all understand – but what we understand, or what it means to us individually, might be very different. When you talk about an organisation’s culture it can be even more difficult to define – but it is the very essence of your workplace. Your culture shapes the way your people work, the way they interact with each other and with your clients or customers, the way that things are done, acknowledged and achieved.
What shapes your culture becomes your culture – and embedding the right kind of culture will impact the way that your people perform – do they feel like they are supported, encouraged, safe…and can they grow in your organisation?
Creating a culture in which your people can grow, can improve, safe and secure because they trust their Leaders, and are trusted by them, can be challenging – even more so if you’re trying to change a culture that’s already in place, but isn’t what you want for (or from) your people.
Most of us can agree that we want to work in an organisation that supports people if they are struggling, and where career development, progress and success are encouraged – where our Leaders and Managers, and the whole team we work with, share our values and goals. Work is such a significant part of our lives – and most people want more from where they work than simply ‘making enough to pay the bills’. Most want to work somewhere they feel like they matter – in a culture that encourages people to grow and expand their skills and experience, to push through challenges, to explore new avenues and take strides towards a bigger, better future.
Unfortunately, the reality for a lot of people is that those hopes aren’t quite matched by the culture they’re working in – and it’s much harder to change a culture than it is to create one – particularly if the company has been established for some time, and has long since developed a more…conservative or ‘how we’ve always done it’ culture that doesn’t really represent the people in it today.
Changing workplace culture might be a challenge – but it’s not insurmountable, and if the culture you’re working in is harming your people, you won’t only struggle to keep the best talent in your teams; you’ll see performance dropping, targets being missed, and the ambition or drive your people once had will crumble to dust. Change might be daunting – but it’s far less scary than your business failing altogether. Taking steps towards the culture you want, and your people deserve from you, is well worth exploring; ASK us today how we can support you through that process, and identify what it is that you want to achieve.
What are the five biggest strengths in a successful company’s culture?
1. Innovation
Continuing to do what has always been done well is a great way to remain constant and consistent; the only problem with this is that when you remain constant, the world around you moves – and before you realise what’s happening, you’re behind your competitors and the customers are looking for things you can’t give.
Innovation – supporting new ideas, exploring new technology, and new methodology, and continuing to learn and grow – is the only way to ensure that your people don’t stagnate; a culture of innovation keeps people interested, passionate, and driven to succeed.
2. Tell people’s stories
Behind every success is a team of people – someone who had a great idea, a boss who saw the potential in that, designers, creators, backers, and sloggers who took that idea and ran with it to create a product, a service, or a tool which works.
Those people are that success. They are why it happened, how it happened, and as well as telling the world about the great new thing you’ve got to sell, tell the story of who created it, why they created it – and the stories of every person who was part of making it happen. People connect with people – and the best tool you have in your organisation is the people who work there.
3. Mix and match
Even the most successful teams can run out of steam – so rather than letting one gang of allstars be the A team and everyone else has to try to match up to them, mix and match your people; take strengths from every area and add them to teams which have different skills. Combine the knowledge, experience, and passion of people from different walks of life to see how they can stretch each other even further.
Success comes in all kinds of flavours – and you can create your organisation’s own unique blend and see what grows.
4. Stop being afraid
Change is scary – and the fear of failing can stop you from taking risks, but without change, you can’t continue to grow – so encourage people to speak up about their ideas, try new ideas out, and explore different ways of completing the tasks you always have to do.
Fear is a natural human response to change, but we can’t let fear stop us from moving forward. Bravery, as they say, isn’t the absence of fear – it’s feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Encourage your workforce to be brave.
5. Listen, listen, listen!
No matter how high up the ladder – or how new to the workplace – everyone has something of value to add. Your latest intern could be the next business guru waiting to happen – your mail boy could revolutionise your invoicing, the MD could switch your CRM to a revolutionary new system, and the marketing assistant may launch your brand into the stratosphere with a wacky new campaign.
Everyone has something worth hearing – and the only way to know that is to listen to them. Give your employees – all of them – the chance to be open and vocal about their experiences, their ideas, and their ambition. The simple act of being listened to is enough to create a more positive culture even before you act on any of the things being said.
Innovation
Continuing to do what has always been done well is a great way to remain constant and consistent; the only problem with this is that when you remain constant, the world around you moves – and before you realise what’s happening, you’re behind your competitors and the customers are looking for things you can’t give.
Innovation – supporting new ideas, exploring new technology, and new methodology, and continuing to learn and grow – is the only way to ensure that your people don’t stagnate; a culture of innovation keeps people interested, passionate, and driven to succeed.
Tell people’s stories
Behind every success is a team of people – someone who had a great idea, a boss who saw the potential in that, designers, creators, backers, and sloggers who took that idea and ran with it to create a product, a service, or a tool which works.
Those people are that success. They are why it happened, how it happened, and as well as telling the world about the great new thing you’ve got to sell, tell the story of who created it, why they created it – and the stories of every person who was part of making it happen. People connect with people – and the best tool you have in your organisation is the people who work there.
Mix and match
Even the most successful teams can run out of steam – so rather than letting one gang of allstars be the A team and everyone else has to try to match up to them, mix and match your people; take strengths from every area and add them to teams which have different skills. Combine the knowledge, experience, and passion of people from different walks of life to see how they can stretch each other even further.
Success comes in all kinds of flavours – and you can create your organisation’s own unique blend and see what grows.
Stop being afraid
Change is scary – and the fear of failing can stop you from taking risks, but without change, you can’t continue to grow – so encourage people to speak up about their ideas, try new ideas out, and explore different ways of completing the tasks you always have to do.
Fear is a natural human response to change, but we can’t let fear stop us from moving forward. Bravery, as they say, isn’t the absence of fear – it’s feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Encourage your workforce to be brave.
Listen, listen, listen!
No matter how high up the ladder – or how new to the workplace – everyone has something of value to add. Your latest intern could be the next business guru waiting to happen – your mail boy could revolutionise your invoicing, the MD could switch your CRM to a revolutionary new system, and the marketing assistant may launch your brand into the stratosphere with a wacky new campaign.
Everyone has something worth hearing – and the only way to know that is to listen to them. Give your employees – all of them – the chance to be open and vocal about their experiences, their ideas, and their ambition. The simple act of being listened to is enough to create a more positive culture even before you act on any of the things being said.
If you want to create a culture which supports growth, change and success, speak to our team about the learning programmes we designed for precisely that. Want to know whether they would work for you? Just ASK
Call us on 01234 757575 or email us at hello@askeurope.com