As a business owner you try to ensure that your office environment and work culture is good and that all your staff members are happy too. But this task isn’t as easy as it seems and sometimes it’s very evident that your employees aren’t working in line with the culture you have tried so hard to build in your business.
If you are keen on identifying what’s wrong and are eager to make it right, you should stop and ask yourself a few questions:
- With all the unique skills, talents and dreams you have; is your business the kind of place where you think those skills and talents will be nurtured and that you will receive the support you need to achieve your career objectives and dreams?
- Do you think that you may have at least a few employees who are also evaluating their jobs on these counts, at this point of time?
If you are objective and take a third-party view of the situation and answer these questions truthfully, you will find that it will help you cut through all the complaining about why you aren’t able to find good people. If you notice certain discrepancies in your business’ work culture that would prevent you from working there, why exactly would anyone else?
Where does the problem lie?
The problem never lies in the fact that your company culture isn’t up to the mark, but in denying it, because then it would mean you are the only one who isn’t aware of this fact. Very few business owners are able to be that objective; hold a mirror to themselves and admit that there are certain things that aren’t happening the way they should, and are willing to make the effort to change these things.
Very simply put, changing your company culture isn’t as challenging as people make it out to be, and in most cases, intent and resolve are all you need. Being a true and successful leader is about taking the first step and owning up to your business. However, this isn’t something that can happen overnight; it will take a few years for you to build a healthy work culture in your business and some more effort to make sure it doesn’t get shaken. Here are a few tips that will help you build the kind of culture you really want in your company:
Be consistent with the things that matter
Conduct at least a couple of staff meetings each week. One of these should be more formal where you ensure everyone is on the same page, deliverables are being met, important business announcements are being made; questions are being answered and doubts addressed.
The other one should be less formal and more of a platform where new ideas are thrashed out, suggestions entertained and there are discussions about various things that impact your business. This approach tells your employees that you care about their ‘opinions’ and value their inputs in the business. This helps build a more conducive work atmosphere in your company.
Don’t prevent your people to showcase their vibrancy
Every one of your team member will have a different personality and they may have some things that they are really passionate about. It’s crucial that you give your employees the freedom to share these sparks of imagination and ideas. If you are able to build an online portal or tool where they can share these ideas, it gives them a platform to talk about the things that matter to them with reference to work.
If you persist on these lines, you would be able to build a healthy and vibrant work culture in your company.
