Your startup is expanding rapidly. How do you ensure your company culture remains cohesive?

I agree that defined values are useful in a startup environment and they set a great start point for defining culture. Values should be considerate of differing perspectives and allow diverse thinking otherwise businesses are in danger of cloning approaches and stifling a culture of innovative thinking from a range of perspectives. Business should also not be afraid of reviewing the values with the teams as they grow, ensuring engagement and collective agreement/challenge to continue to build a company culture.

Fast growth can challenge your startup’s culture. To keep it cohesive, clearly define and communicate your core values. As Winston Churchill said, 'To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.' Embrace adaptability, but anchor changes in values that reflect who you are. For example, founders like Ben Silbermann of Pinterest kept transparency and user-focus central during scaling. Keep those values visible in daily actions and decisions to guide your team, even as you evolve.

I agree that defined values are useful in a startup environment and they set a great start point for defining culture. Values should be considerate of differing perspectives and allow diverse thinking otherwise businesses are in danger of cloning approaches and stifling a culture of innovative thinking from a range of perspectives. Business should also not be afraid of reviewing the values with the teams as they grow, ensuring engagement and collective agreement/challenge to continue to build a company culture.

To maintain a cohesive company culture during rapid expansion, clearly communicate your mission, vision, and values to all employees. Implement a robust onboarding process that integrates new hires into the culture from the start. Leaders should model the company's values and reinforce them through actions and decisions. Encourage open communication and regularly seek feedback from employees to address concerns. Standardize key practices to ensure consistency across teams and locations. Celebrate achievements to build unity and shared purpose. Empower cultural ambassadors within the company to help nurture and propagate the desired culture. By focusing on these steps, you can keep your company's culture strong and unified as it grows.

Create an environment where team members feel safe sharing ideas and concerns. As Amy Edmondson highlights in her work on psychological safety, leaders should encourage open discussions without fear of judgment. Regularly ask for input during meetings, and reward transparency to keep everyone aligned as you scale. Example: Implement anonymous feedback channels or open Q&A sessions to address concerns early. #StartupCulture #Leadership #Growth

Die Frage ist, wo man die Funktion des kulturellen Fürsprechers platziert. In meinen Augen ist die beste Funktion in die Rolle eines unabh?ngigen Qualit?tsbeauftraten. Dieser kann neutral agieren. Das ist hilfreich. Er kann auch eher das Gesamtunternehmen überblicken.

?? Expanding rapidly? Don't lose sight of your startup's culture! As your company grows, your culture will naturally evolve—embrace that change. But, like Steve Jobs said, "Stay hungry, stay foolish"—maintain your core values while being open to new ideas. Flexibility is key. Regularly check in with your team to ensure alignment, and lead by example. Adapt, but don’t let the heart of your startup get lost in the hustle. Empower your team to carry the vision forward! ?? #StartUpTips #Leadership

I agree consistent review and challenge of values and approaches is healthy for company culture. It is also important to ensure that core values are adaptable and considerate of an often uncertain future. Certain values may, for instance, engender an approach needed for rapid growth or expansion and dynamic thinking. Values can be a great tool to set the core agenda and approach for a business and attract the right talent….they can also be used as the wrong tool to drive behaviour and can be “used” by the leaders of the business to serve a misguided agenda (See examples in the business case of Enron). Consistent reflection with people and teams can help to keep values aligned…a great way to do this is periodic Story Creation.

I completely agree that celebrating success and recognising your teams contributions is a critical part of a growth journey within business. Also consider the different forms of recognition across different teams and keep it fresh and mixed…..for instance recognition for sales teams is often commission and leader boards…mix it up with leader shout outs, prizes in the form of away days and family time. Sometimes a simple well done will work. Ensure recognition is appropriate and well meaning with teams that may not traditionally have commission or financial incentives (tech teams, service teams etc) it is important to recognise all teams appropriately. Mix it up and be authentic otherwise it can become expected and insincere.