Every organization has a personality, like each individual has a personality. The personality of an organization is called its culture. Culture can either be developed and continually nurtured by founders to develop their organization down a particular path, or it can organically develop over time, from the interactions of the individuals working. It is essential for developing the characteristics required for success. Culture influences the behaviour and functioning of employees, and the ultimate objective is to increase productivity, efficiency, and culture.
This blog explains what organisational culture is, its importance, and strategies for development.
What is Organizational Culture?
Organizational Culture can be defined as shared values, attitudes, practices, etc. It incorporates frameworks to guide how people within the organization interact, orient themselves to their work to meet objectives. It is often defined as a company’s personality, and impacts employee engagement, workplace efficiency, performance, etc.
Why Is Organisational Culture Important?
A strong and positive culture attracts excellent and suitable talent and helps companies bring on the best people.
Entrepreneurs building a positive culture will support the feeling of commitment and belonging among employees, which can enhance employee engagement and decrease turnover.
Positive customer experiences are usually the result of a customer-centric culture where employees are similarly bound together in delivering extraordinary experiences which contribute to increased levels of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Cultural structure in the company tends to group team members with similar skills. leads to better teamwork, which helps to overcome the complexity associated with team-based performance where individuals rely on others to deliver their jobs.
Also contributes to their well-being, creating a work environment where they can build both personally and professionally.
- How to Develop an Organizational Culture
Building a robust organizational culture is a long process with higher understanding. Building culture requires good planning, intentional acts, a proper approach, etc. Below are the primary activities to implement and maintain a positive, excellent culture:
- Define Your Core Values
Begin by writing down your company values, if you haven’t done so already. If you don’t have any defined values, this is a perfect opportunity to make some now. Core values should also fuel the company’s mission and be meaningful and compelling to employees and leaders. Sharing core values will also help build consensus and culture, and develop a sense of togetherness in the organization.
- Transparent Communication
Employees sharing ideas, issues, providing feedback, etc, should be encouraged. Open communication builds relationships, leadership develops teamwork, effective for organizational culture. Employees acknowledge that their views are being noticed and respected for self-assurance in the decision-making process.
- Work Life Balance
Companies should also build a culture to keep up with employees’ work responsibilities as well as personal wellness and family lifestyle. This usually happens through supported flexible working hours and policies.
- Promote team collaboration
Organizational collaboration can be reinforced by the use of team-building events, inter-department or cross-functional tasks, and training activities. Providing digital brainstorming sessions using digital collaboration tools, will enhance the team’s ability to solve problems together and performance. A culture of collaboration connects employees together, values, and is comfortable to work.
- Improve onboarding
First impressions lead to an effective onboarding process is the foundation of achieving a successful impression. A qualified onboarding process will help ensure a new hire has an understanding of the defined company values, expectations, and workplace culture, regardless of how briefly they stepped foot through the doorway.
Organizations that demonstrate strong onboarding processes incorporate the following into their qualifications: mentorship, structure for either training or reinforcement of workplace culture, and communicating an organization’s mission and vision goals.
- Focus on Employee Growth and Development
Employees tend to quit jobs due to a lack of growth opportunities and pressure. So, give importance to employee development and professional growth, as it also contributes to good performance, employee retention, and engagement.
- Diversity and inclusion
Developing an inclusive culture will require continual management resources and effort. It’s a commitment to diversity and also promoting a sense of belonging for all employees. Also effective in managing restrictions related to ingrained unconscious bias and inequitable access.
- Feedback and Recognition
Enforcing policies will be an alternative to acknowledging and reaffirming targeted values into the continual, sustainable behavior you hope to reinforce. Celebrating and appreciating an employee for utilizing the types of behaviour that the company values reinforces other employees’ participation and behaviour towards building the desired cultural behaviours.
- Evaluate and Adjust Culture
Culture is not static; it can bend and move, especially as organizations change or scale. Sometimes strategic priorities change, and their culture changes too. Conduct surveys, feedback, or performance indicators, and use them to evaluate what you think your culture is and what state it is in. Monitor and adjust, where necessary, your culture to support business improvements.
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Conclusion
Creating an effective organizational culture is a prolonged process. It requires understanding, values, along applying at all organizational levels. Set core values, role model them in practice, and create space for conversations. Thus, businesses can continue to develop a culture that will sustain employees and organizational success.
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