Company Culture Matters. Here's Why.
Do you ever feel nervous to approach your manager with something because of their position of power? In the corporate world, company culture can really affect the way a business operates. Hierarchies and micromanagement are a common struggle in the workplace and a toxic work environment has myriad disadvantages. A strong corporate culture is very achievable, but it does take some effort.
What is Company Culture?
The first step is to define culture; why it is important to understand, and why we need it. Company culture is characterised as a collection of values and beliefs that influence the way a business functions. Companies often project to potential employees that a healthy company culture is established in their workplace, and it is something businesses aspire to uphold. Culture is built over time and is created and adopted by the people within an organisation, for better or for worse.
What Not To Do
Several elements can create a toxic company culture. Strong hierarchical divides within an organisation can often leave team members feeling unsupported and in lacking confidence. It is a poor leadership style because very few people respond well to being coerced, so to speak, into tasks. In this situation, employees feel a loss of autonomy which can impact performance and lead to loss of creative thought and ability to problem solve. Similarly, micromanagement can have a huge impact upon a workplace, where employees feel as if every task they undertake is constantly scrutinised, thereby becoming frustrated and stressed out at work. Again, employees will experience a loss of autonomy and a subsequently, performance, creativity and problem-solving skills will diminish.
When a company’s corporate culture is negative the workplace feels miserable and when that morning alarm rings, getting out of bed becomes a burden and more of a struggle every day. In a negative environment, employees tend to feel less drive and dishonesty can seep in. As a consequence, communication is lacking, productivity is diminishing, and projects take longer than expected. Negative company culture is a danger to any workplace, but it is not impossible to change.
What to Strive For
So, what is an example of good company culture? Importantly, team members need to feel that their colleagues care, support and respect them and their point of view – this forms the benchmark. When every team member can cooperate and share knowledge and experiences with each other, it fosters productivity and creativity. This is because when employees don’t feel judged or subdued, it encourages a free flow of ideas. When employees feel supported within the corporate culture, they naturally perform better and are more likely to achieve their goals. Nurturing a positive work environment is a constant process and requires constant reinforcement to build.
Intov8’s Approach
At Intov8 we value a good company culture. This has allowed us to create an organisational structure that puts everyone on the same level within the organisation. We have adapted our hierarchical structure in a way where employees feel valued and have the tools to reach their full potential, with the help of their superiors. Not only do we have mutual respect within the workplace, we also participate in shared responsibility of tasks like photocopying, coffee rounds and setting up meetings.
We have a communication structure in place where teams come together to formulate strategies that meet objectives, collectively. One process that keeps us on track is making time to come together each morning to discuss the goals of the previous day, whether we achieved them, and our plan for the day ahead. This keeps everyone involved in the progression of the business on a day-by-day basis. From there, employees are granted the autonomy to complete tasks without micromanagement.
Our Top Tips
Encourage open communication, shared ideas, individual creativity and humour. Team members will produce their highest quality of work when they feel happy to come to work, free of unnecessary stress. This will empower each employee, while making it clear that effective collaboration is critical to success.
