Building Great Culture

2-Mins Tue: Topic #5 - 24 Sep 2019

Corporate culture is how we behave and do things at work - our experiences, beliefs & actions. It can make or break things for an org. How to build a great culture?

1) Empower People

A great culture is a culture of ownership & commitment. It starts with people empowerment. Employee takes up ownership while the employer fully trusts him/her. Without this mutual trust, any effort on building great culture is futile. Understand where there are trust issues & actively work on fixing them.

2) Team Over Individuals

A well-knit team of averages will beat a bunch of individual stars. So, create a sense of community - be it celebrations or joint problem solving. Create an environment where team work and collaboration is well appreciated.

3) Vision and Purpose

A shared goal and purpose is important - Individuals forget their personal agenda for a larger cause. An inspiring story and narrative is powerful in creating a strong culture. Creating an org constitution with Do/Don'ts & shared values will help.

4) Be Open

Create an environment in which people don't hold back opinions, ideas or even the bad news. Radical Transparency helps in building trust with employees - e.g. leaders can openly share strategies to gain trust of employees and get more meaningful contribution. Be transparent - Let others know you aren't perfect and share your honest feedback with others.

5) Be Inclusive

Everyone in your team should get a fair chance. Being inclusive gives a positive reinforcement to entire team. Self-awareness of our biases will help. Practise them in meetings, discussions and interactions.