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We hear a lot these days about “corporate culture,” and many leaders dismiss this as just another excuse for pizza parties and casual Fridays. But company culture is more than business jargon. It is an intentional way of operating a business day-in-and-day-out. Both research and experience have proven that a strong culture produces higher levels of performance, productivity, and employee retention. Have you spent any time devoted to this all important, but often invisible, facet of your business?
Word to the wise: your company already has a culture. Even if you did nothing to shape it, even if you have never given a thought to your company’s culture, it has one. Trouble is, if you have not intentionally defined and reinforced it, your culture may be seriously impacting your bottom line.
Culture – good or bad – defines communication, environment, atmosphere, teamwork, accountability, ethics, and how you service your customers. It permeates the work you do for your clients and the productivity of your staff. So it’s time to invest in building, or rebuilding, your culture!
Start With Core Values and Mission
The elements of a company culture start with your core values and mission. Your core values and mission must answer this question: what does your company want to be known for when people think of your brand? It could be accountability, teamwork, agility, collaboration, integrity, transparency, responsiveness, just to name a few.
Your company culture is built on these values and this mission. Everything you do for your clients, and everything you do with your staff, should be connected in some way to those values and mission. Whether it’s a business proposal, a client meeting, or a team slack, you must “walk the talk” in order to sustain your culture.
For example, if one of your defining values is “trustworthy,” make sure you exhibit that value when dealing with your clients. At every step of the project, from the signed contract to the finished project, be true to your word, be transparent about opportunities and challenges, and be reliable when it comes to deliverables and deadlines. Similarly, you must demonstrate trust in your staff and encourage them to trust each other. That might mean team-building activities to build trust, it might mean being more transparent about company communication and changes, or it might just mean providing clear deadlines and building a climate where people are expected to meet them, while knowing they have an open door to explain when a project is delayed. The key is not necessarily which value you prize, the key is building practices for your team that reinforce that value.
When you do not “walk the talk,” it can have grave repercussions for your business. Let’s say “agility” is part of your brand. If your team is creating roadblocks with negative interpersonal dynamics, indecisiveness, or a lack of accountability, this is a sign that your culture is not aligned with your values. The result will be lost clients and a damaged reputation. Take a minute to write down 3-4 ways that your team could demonstrate “agility,” and then share that with your team.
Where Do You Start?
You are investing in your future by building an intentional positive company culture. The great news is that no matter your starting point, you can navigate a new course.
Step one, meet with your leadership team to have an open and honest discussion about where you are now, where you want to be, and what steps it would take to get there. Then work together to brainstorm and identify the core values that fit your brand.
A company should ideally have 3 to 7 core values – enough to capture its identity without becoming overwhelming. Too few may not fully represent the company’s mission, while too many can be hard to remember and reinforce. Remember: the best core values are authentic, actionable, and memorable, so make them fun! Give them creative names, clearly define their meaning, and outline the specific actions employees should take to embody them.
Once your leadership team has defined the company’s core values, the next crucial step is company-wide training to ensure these values are deeply embedded in everyday operations. Training should go beyond a one-time presentation; it should be an ongoing interactive effort that includes real-world examples and open discussions on how to apply these values in daily tasks and decision-making. By equipping employees with a clear understanding of how core values shape their roles, interactions, and company goals, you create a culture where everyone is aligned and actively contributing to a shared mission.
Be sure to incorporate “culture questions” into your interview process as you are hiring. As you screen candidates, don’t be blinded by an eye-catching resume with the right pedigree. Skills are great, but fit is essential. Can you see the person’s ability to embody your core mission and values as they answer situational questions? Make sure the interviewers are using a shared language to showcase your core values and to determine if this candidate would make a good fit on the team.
Culture should also be a crucial part of onboarding new employees. They need to know how important your company values and mission are, and that they permeate everything that happens inside your building. That includes interaction with clients and interaction with the internal team. It’s up to you to clearly communicate expectations to a new team member, and to train them in ways that reinforce the culture in the daily routine.
A mistake in the hiring process is costly as we all know. Onboarding and training can drain a budget. When you find someone who is a good interpersonal fit, you also avoid potential negativity, gossip, and damage to the team.
Bottom Up and Top Down
A strong company culture is built from the bottom up, and reinforced from the top-down. Empower employees at all levels to give a “shout out,” and recognize when a core value is being demonstrated by a colleague, whether that person is a peer, subordinate, or leader. Recognition creates a ripple effect. It reminds everyone what your core values and mission are, that they are active not stagnant, that they are a part of what you do every day. You are also reminding every employee: they play an important role in upholding the brand.
Encourage your leaders to come up with specific ways that workflow, project management, client communication, and team building can be connected to your core values and mission. Think through the steps of a typical project and ask how each step could demonstrate a core value or dedication to your mission. Then be sure to share those with the entire team. Doing so helps them understand how the core values can be lived out, and helps reinforce your commitment to the company culture.
Finally, create a culture where feedback is continuous and constructive. While core values should be celebrated, they should also be upheld through accountability. This should be part of the regular review process, but don’t wait until an annual review to course-correct. For example, if you value communication, but an employee is not responsive on projects, that’s a sign to address immediately. Encourage your managers to speak candidly (but privately) with an employee about a corporate culture red flag as soon as they observe it. The sooner you bring this to an employee’s attention, the sooner they can correct it, or you can determine they are the right. If the importance of your mission and values has been consistently shared with your team, this kind of conversation should be both easy and expected.
A strong corporate culture, based on core values and mission, helps create a cohesive and resilient team, able to withstand the pressure of tight deadlines and demanding goals. That same culture, lived out every day with your clients, will build trust, confidence and collaboration that leads to profitable long-term relationships. All of which translates to healthy, sustainable growth for your business.
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One of my favorite quotes comes from the great Peter Drucker, an author and consultant on organization and management. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” he said. From my years of experience in football and business, I know just how true that is!
Your football team can have the greatest geniuses calling plays and dialing up schemes, but if you don’t have the right culture in the locker room, the team won’t win. Any sports fan can think of dozens of examples of teams like that over the years!
It’s true in business, too. You need to have a plan, but a plan on its own isn’t enough. A culture of people who believe in the vision and believe in each other are a superpower in any company. Read this article for insights into how to build a powerful culture in your business, and how to keep your team on the right path!
Fran Tarkenton
