4 Cornerstones Of Great Company Culture

English: Ken Olsen's primary concern about cus...
English: Ken Olsen’s primary concern about customers and employees “Our Employees are our greatest Asset” was distributed on a coffee mug, to encourage all employees. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To get the most out of you blog you need help. That help can either come in the form of full time staff or contractors. If you are a poor manager your staff are going to leave. This article goes into some points on how to keep good staff engaged and enjoying their work at your company – building company culture.

Why you need a good company culture

I’ve worked for small businesses in a local community, medium-sized businesses consisting of multiple facilities in a small region, and I’ve worked for a large corporation with facilities all over the world. These companies are very different yet they all have one thing in common: culture. Company culture is defined as a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution or organization. Basically it is what will drive the company towards sustainability. This culture is formed from the top down and is very difficult to change once norms set in.

I have been fortunate that the companies I have worked for have had very similar cultures and they were established before I became a member of the team. No culture is perfect and there are always things that can be improved upon. However there are many things that I’ve seen in each company that helps set the tone for how they plan to do business. There are 4 key components to any business culture. Some may argue that they are all of equal importance but I feel there is a progression to a good business culture.

Active Community

First, they are active in the community and are conscientious of their affect on it. Whether it’s fund-raisers for a local charity or scholarships to a local school, the community receives more than just jobs for its population. The other big area a company focuses on is environmental. Yes, companies are required by law to keep track of and report various effects on the environment; these could be waste, air, and water just to name a few. Regulations aside, most successful businesses do not want to negatively affect the community regardless. Being environmentally conscious shows that a company feels that where they do business is an important function of how they do business.

Importance of Change

Second, change must be an integral part of any corporate culture. The mindset should never get to a point where employees feel that it is pointless to bring up new ideas, process, or equipment. A company should never be so comfortable that it feels they are doing everything right. There is always another way of looking at things or a new product out there that may help further the business. Also, if you are afraid of change it will be much harder when the time comes when change is a must.

Treat Employees Well

Third, the way companies treat their employees is very important. It is part of the culture that pulls from other areas but is significant as a whole. How is an employee treated when he brings up a concern? Are employees rewarded for exceptional work? Do the employees feel they can freely voice their opinion on any issue? These are many questions that you can ask about your company and your employees. Employees are the backbone of any company. They are the ones out in the production areas and getting the job done. Day in and day out they often do the same task time after time; who better to get new ideas on how to do their job more efficiently?

Have A Vision For company culture

Finally, safety is the most important part of any business culture. It pulls all the other together and puts the health of the employee above all else. What happens when an employee brings up a safety concern? The worst thing would be nothing happens. This signals to the employee that not only is their ideas not important but neither is their safety. Employees need to know that above all else their health and safety is important. Would you want to work for a company that didn’t care if you left work the same way you arrived? Being safety conscious breeds employee involvement which in turn breeds change. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take action when a safety concern is brought up. It is far easier for a culture to change in a negative aspect than it is for something positive. The worst thing you can here is, “It’s been brought up before but no one did anything about it.”

Notice there is nothing in these parts on profits or expenses. I promise you, if you focus on these four aspects of your business, the profits will come. Goodwill towards the community giving you good standing with the community equals profits. Changing quickly when new process or ideas are brought to the forefront equals profits. Keeping employees involved and showing that you truly care how they feel about the company equals profits. The safety and health of your employees keeps them involved and keeps your good workers on the job…profits. Your company culture is the foundation to sustainability no matter what industry you are in.

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Tom is a freelance writer for blogs such as problogger.com and www.make-a-web-site.com

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