Defining company culture - 

  “It defines the environment in which employees work. Company culture includes a variety of elements, including work environment, company mission, values, ethics, expectations, and goals.

For example, some companies have a team-based culture with employee participation on all levels, while others have a more traditional and formal management style. Other companies have a casual workplace without many rules and regulations “

Why is company culture important for you?

HERE ARE SOME INSIGHTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN ESTABLISHING YOUR COMPANY CULTURE - 

DO SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THE TYPE OF COMPANY CULTURE YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN

Reading this article is a great start! There are many ideas/blogs posted all of the time that inform and educate about current company culture practices. Maintaining this as a priority will keep your company ethics and environment progressive and efficient. It's important to be knowledgeable about what keeps the gears of your company moving. This will provide you with the knowledge on what to adjust to assist things in more efficiently. 

KNOW YOUR PEOPLE

Getting to know the people that keep your company moving is a great way to build a foundation for a strong company culture. This will allow you to establish transparent internal communication. Being involved in the more current affairs of employees creates an environment where your employees feel they belong and can ultimately lead to productivity and efficiency. 

A great way to get to know your employee’s is by creating surveys for them in relation to their job. I recommend making these surveys anonymous so employees feel comfortable to be honest. Ask questions that will help you improve and show that you truly value and care for your employees. Some questions may include just that - “How can management improve ___?” This will help make your employees feel valued and appreciated. 

REMIND YOUR EMPLOYEES OF YOUR MISSION AS A COMPANY

Keeping the company grounded is essential for company progress and growth. Reminding employees of core values/mission as a company gets everyone in the same mindset and in the right direction. I also think it's a great way to motivate each other! Getting everyone on the same page can fuel the progression of goals as a company. It's important to instill these values on a day-to-day basis to remain integrity of the employees and company as a whole. 

“Employees tend to enjoy work when their needs and values are consistent with those in the workplace. They tend to develop better relationships with coworkers and are even more productive.”

CREATE A TEAM ENVIRONMENT

Team building is one of the oldest practices in the book. Often times peers and co-workers are the key to an employee loving their job. You can help facilitate healthy in office friendships with creating an environment for it. Team building is also a great way to enhance communication skills among employees. It can increase an employees emotional engagement to their job and a desire to help/support their peers. 

Here are some team building activities - 

• Having a monthly potluck 

• Community Service

• Holiday Parties

• Team Lunches

• Strategy Games

There are unlimited ways to create the type of environment you want to stand for. The most important part is to have fun with it and stay true to your values! When you truly care about your company culture, it shines through!