A better company culture. A better business.

The organizational culture is everything in any organization. It is the reflecting light on the core values of the organization. Before you take something into thought about your company, you should be aware of the culture and its effect on everyone involved. 

Organizations have many aspects as well as many teams. To make an organization more successful there are many steps you can take. But one of the most vital ones is understanding what the goals for the organization are and the goals for each team.

A company is built on the shoulders of its employees. If the employees are working well, and are happy then the company will progress as well. But if the employees are not satisfied, then the results will differ. Employee satisfaction is not built in one day. 

A company’s culture influences the results of the company. It influences how the CEOs are giving orders. And how the employees are following the CEO’s orders. 

You will find some great companies working on their company’s culture. And I call them great because they work on their company’s culture. 

You need to actively work on your company’s culture. Maybe not as much as your company’s strategies but still, work on it. Culture also decides how customers see the company and it impacts employee satisfaction too. 

There are no hard and fast rules on how or when should you start working on your company culture. So if you haven’t already you can start right after reading this blog!

So, let’s cover the basics, shall we? 

Introduction

The culture of businesses is in the collection of business strategies, procedures, and relationships that make up the working environment. And having a positive working environment is very important. 

It is a collection of shared values, goals, and practices in an organization. It’s the way they feel about the job they’re doing, the values they believe in, and what their commitment is. Every employee contributes in one way or another to make a company successful. 

Before we understand more about company culture, let’s clear some misconceptions first. For you to realize what is company culture, you need to learn what company culture is not.

What is the importance of company culture?

Your core values: 

Core values are definitely a part of the culture, but they are just words on paper if you don’t practice them. In fact, if you have core values, and you do not follow them they can negatively impact your reputation. The employees will see them as the standards which the company itself does not follow.

Types of company cultures

Because your company’s reputation is at stake, it is important to see what works best for your company. Your company should be adaptable to change and improvement. 

Using these values in the organization will make an ideal scenario for company culture. But to make that you need to know the types of company culture first.

• Team first company culture

Team-oriented companies look for cultural fits. Their first priority is to see if the candidate fits the category of company culture. The skills and experience come second. 

Providing meaningful feedback, and employee engagement is their motto. Why do they put so much emphasis on their employees? Because they know, happy employees make happy customers. It’s a great culture to follow because then the customers will go the extra mile to show their gratitude.

Netflix is following this company culture example. They offer unlimited family leaves and vacation days. 

You may have a team-first culture if-

• Your staff is mates with individuals in other departments. 
• Outside work, the workers chat and socialize 
• In surveys, you receive thoughtful input from staff.

We as individuals have our own values and we have our own systems. And this applies to employees as well. So keeping your employees in mind while designing your company culture is important.

• Elite company culture

Companies with elite cultures are out to change the world by any means. Companies following this culture hire the best, and they need the employees not only to keep up but lead. 

They look for innovation and a daring attitude. They want their employees to be capable, competitive, and confident. This results in big profits and fast growth. 

Space-X is a high-profile company culture example. They are a young innovative company manufacturing some big inventions in the market. And knowing that they are doing work that will go down in history, keeps the employees motivated.

You are an elite culture company if-

• Employees are not afraid of questioning what can be improved
• Employees make their work a priority, often working long hours
• You have highly qualified job applications to choose from

• Horizontal company culture

Here titles don’t really matter. This company culture is popular amongst start-ups because it makes everyone pitch in setup. They have products and services and they are striving to provide. They are more adaptable to change doing market research frequently. 

They are willing to do whatever it takes to make a customer happy because their success depends on it. You have a horizontal culture if-

• Teammates in break rooms discuss new ideas 
• Everyone does a little bit of it all, 
• And you also have to show the value of your product.

The difference between company culture and values

People often confuse themselves with the company’s culture and values. But both are different.

A company’s value should never really change. They are the core principles a company is going to live by and die by. And a company’s culture is ever-changing. They need to change so that they can adapt to the change happening in the market.

Culture vs Strategy

At its root, the strategy is rational and reasonable, plain and simple. And company culture can mean various things to different individuals. It is psychological, ever-changing, and complicated.

Company culture is a powerful factor in a company’s success. And so often when a company’s strategy is imposed from above, it conflicts with its culture. Leaders need to keep strategies and culture aligned.

So what is the connection between culture and strategy?

• The strategy is about the intent, and culture defines the execution of that intent.
• The strategy lays the rules of the game, and culture fuels the spirit of playing that game
• When a culture embraces strategy, execution is scalable and sustainable.
• A strategy drives focus and destination, and culture is an emotional habit in which a strategy lives or dies.

Many business owners even now confuse themselves. They are confused about what is the right strategy and what is company culture.

Company culture in big and small companies

Company culture is important everywhere. It doesn’t matter which industry you work in, company culture is there. Even if you are not working on the culture, it is working on itself.

In startups, there is so much that has to be done within the limited resources. Which sometimes makes it really hard to build a culture and maintain it.

The advantage on the larger companies’ side is that they have more of an infrastructure. And it’s easier to imbed those values and behaviors and a lot of processes. 

Conclusion

Make sure you’re checking in with your colleagues, and employees. Asking more questions than you normally do and listening in a way that you don’t always listen. And talk through both what you know about strategy and the culture.