Organizational culture can be defined simply as “the way we do things around here”. It’s the “feeling” that an organization gives to its customers and the atmosphere it creates for its employees. If that sounds ‘Fuzzy” it is not. Culture is very real and defined by the daily behaviors of its people and how they interact with customers, suppliers and, just as importantly, internal team members.
Your company culture is important because it really represents the DNA of your organization. Peter Drucker, a well-known organizational developer, consultant and author stated, “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast”. If your culture is not aligned to your company’s vision and values, your strategic goals will not be met.
Every organization has a culture. This culture has grown organically over time. Can you define the culture of your organization? Does it support your strategy? Does it make for a good place to work with your teams meeting their goals? You need to be intentional about your organization’s culture if it is to support your strategy and create success. Just like you can influence strategy, you can also influence your culture.
First, you need to establish your organization’s values. This is better done in a team environment, with the more people involved, the better. Once values are established, step two is to define your Culture Principles, ensuring they are aligned with those values. Next, bring your Culture Principles to life by identifying daily actions that match these principles. Once you have these in place, you can observe and measure these actions.
Some ways to intentionally influence your company’s culture include:
Talking about it: Consistent conversation at team meetings creates clear expectations around culture within your team.
Recruitment: Include your culture expectations in recruitment advertisements, interviews and selection processes. Hire for attitude, train for skills.
Onboarding: Create an onboarding process that speaks to your company history, its vision, values and culture expectations. Speak about what is expected of employees and what support employees can expect in return.
Measurement: Using the adage “what gets measured, gets done”, introduce a system of measuring culture. This can be done by measuring customer satisfaction and employees’ satisfaction on a regular basis. This gives you ongoing data and feedback.
Quarterly Reviews: Use the above measurements and incorporate these into discussions on culture when conducting your teams’ quarterly and/or annual reviews and bonus / commission discussions.
Reward: Get team members to observe and “call out” good behaviors and have a simple rewards system to emphasize its importance. Membership for employees in Boom Group Rewards would be a great way of putting this reward system into action.
Sanction: In culture, what you tolerate you get and, if you are not willing to take action to support your intended culture, you will face an uphill battle.
Being intentional and introducing or changing an organization’s culture is not a “one and done” activity and needs constant attention. The rewards of having a successful business with engaged employees serving satisfied and returning customers more than compensates for the efforts and costs involved.
Implementing Reward Programs is a proven and effective solution for organizations to deliver distinct value to individuals within their group, offering significant savings and attractive incentives. If you'd like to learn more about rewards for your company, please reach out at membership@boomgroup.com or call us at 1-844-858-2666.
Fintan Ryan is an executive coach who specializes in helping companies create a strong culture in their team(s). Contact fintan@oriaincoaching.com or further information at www.oriaincoaching.com.