Understanding the culture of your business-those values, beliefs and attitudes used by employees on a daily basis—is critical if you’re trying to improve the overall performance of employees and the business itself.

How would employees describe your business? Is it a fun place to work? Do they feel seen and heard? Or do they feel stifled creatively? Are they fearful to speak up and share opinions that may differ from management?

Taking an honest look at the current culture within your company can help you understand how to promote what’s working and change what isn’t. Let’s look at a few ways to improve the culture of your business.

Define Your Culture

It’s important to know the state of your current culture and the culture you want to have in your business.

When looking at the current culture, think about your business mission or values—is what you say you want a reality in the office? If your business touts open communication between management and employees, but managers are shutting down talks with subordinates, your culture is out of alignment with what you say you want to be. This can breed frustration and resentment with employees and increase turnover.

It may be time to take an honest look at your own leadership style. As the business owner, what is your relationship with your employees? Do you welcome questions and conversations from your staff? Do you delegate responsibilities to capable employees or are you the final decision maker?

Set Goals for Improvement

Once you’ve accepted the state of your current culture, think about the ways it can be improved and the steps to make those changes happen. Are there certain employees who exemplify your ideal business culture? If so, what are the qualities they possess
that set them apart from their peers?

If you want a culture that encourages employees to take risks, don’t punish them for the occasional inevitable setback. Dad wasn’t wrong when said “say what you mean and mean what you say”.
Asking for honest feedback from employees is critical in identifying areas in need of improvement…even if the responses sting a little. Questions to ask may include: Do you feel as though you’re treated fairly? Are policies implemented in a way that consistent for all employees or do you feel as if some are favored over others? Do you feel trusted to do your job? Does the business incentivise and encourage appropriate behavior?

When setting the goals for your business culture, keep it simple, clear, direct and share the goals with all of your employees. Plan to cycle back with staff in six months or so to evaluate the success of your efforts.

Make Culture Clear to New Hires

Your company culture becomes visible from the moment a potential employee meets you for the initial interview. As you share details about the business and their role in it, you’re offering a snapshot of your company’s core values. Share with them your philosophies and leadership style. Show an interest in who they are outside of the workplace.

Once the applicant becomes an employee, continue to promote the culture of the business and answer any questions openly and honestly. Make sure new hires receive adequate training for their position so they start on the right foot, feeling confident in
their ability to do the job right and valued in their position. Instilling healthy culture at the onset of employment will increase employee loyalty and retention.

Support Work/Life Balance

Helping your employees understand what work/life balance means and encouraging them to find it can help keep morale high and burnout low.

Spend time educating your staff on what a healthy work/life balance looks like, and what warning signs they should look for that indicate the scale is tipping.

Again, you’ll want to take an honest look at the current culture—are you praising employees who work overtime and on weekends? Are you encouraging employees to take time off and spend time outside of the office?

And, you’ll want to lead by example. Set certain days when you’re out of the office by 5pm. Let staff know you don’t respond to communications after hours or on weekends. By showing your employees you value personal time, you’ll make it acceptable for them to do the same.

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Changing workplace culture isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen overnight. If the idea of overhauling the culture within your business feels overwhelming, know we are here to help.

We can help you identify your business needs and lead you through the process of implementing small changes that garner big results.
Click here to contact us.

We look forward to helping you create a healthy and stable culture within your business and amongst your employees. Let’s get started today.