Building a successful culture

Sun beams through thoughtless clouds. If you pay attention, if you look close enough, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of the world flash by. And, just like that the moment that's just happened is over. And, just like that it's April, And, just like that the residue from March, February, January, December, November, October, September evaporates into the past, dissipating into nothingness. But if you don't pay attention I guarantee its not only the clouds you'll miss. 

In this sometimes soulless city it's easy to get caught up in the future and miss what's happening right now. Our thoughts are almost always caught up in the past, wondering what could have been or thinking about the future but never focussing on the present moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of both of the above but if our mind is caught up in what happened or what is going to happen then where are we now? 

I used to think that the present was not an option and always look for excuses to take two steps backwards or think of ways to run before I could walk but then it dawned on me - why live in the non existent future or past? And just like that I realised that the present is a choice and there was no point fighting for the past or fantasising over things that don't exist.

We sometimes look too far forward and forget that in order to be successful in the future we must do what we can now and appreciate every moment, whether good or bad. We can always learn and move on. Some people fail to realise that these are only moments and shouldn't spiral into hours, days, weeks, months, sometimes years... We've all heard the expression when life gives you lemons, make lemonade - but, there's only so much lemonade you can make of course by yourself. 

So here I am living in tech city where most people are trying to make lemonade all alone, by themselves failing to realise that you can make more lemonade if you work together. But, if you're surrounded by full cast venom and work in the midst of infectious poison you will never be able to make lots and lots of lemonade. 

So, it's down to the culture you put yourself in and, if you're surrounded by poison think of how successful you're going to be. That's not to say everyone needs to be your BFFL but, if you're all alone fending for yourself there's only so far you can go. In a game of chess, the whole aim is to protect the King, with the whole team on your side. In a game of football, the whole aim is to protect the goal, with the whole team on your side. The key here is having your team on your side and not let anyone or anything poisonous in. Avoiding poison is as easy as you want it to be. Some people do their best to put themselves right in the middle of it without even knowing. Some people do it because they think it's cool. Some people do it because they think they are playing the game properly. But, what game do you know where a hero is selfish? What game do you know where the villain ends up with the babe? There are key things that you can do to avoid culture conflict because, ultimately, culture conflict causes failure and no one likes to fail. 

No matter how well thought your strategy is, results depend on the execution and culture is the one that determines how things really get done. The time to think about the culture is not when there are 100+ employees, it's when there are five of you.

In order to shape your company culture you have to understand what your values are and what kind of culture you want to be. If you don't have a mission statement, you have no form of identity or reason for being. When you do have one, communicate it across the work force and implement it every day to make sure that everyone is in line and on board. There's no point having people on board that don't believe in the same thing. This will cause imbalance thus resulting in a self inflicted poisonous environment. 

Aside from a mission statement you also need a talent plan. And, you have to make sure the core of your culture and values stay the same as your company grows. Everything starts with your hiring process. What this doesn't mean is having a team full of clones. What it does mean is, having a team that shares your company values. When searching for team members, look for people who are from different walks of life, then, create an organisational culture that will allow each of them to bring their unique point of view to the table. 

As well as having the right people on board it's as important to be transparent, upfront and honest with the people that surround you. There's no point in building a beautiful culture and shooting yourself in the foot by poisoning it yourself. Your employees are your best brand advocates when it comes to both your products as a brand and you as an employer. That's not to say you need to let them into every little detail and we've all heard the saying loose lips sink ships, but - secrets don't make friends nor successful team members. 

As well as being slightly transparent it's important to keep employees engaged. And not just employees. Let's face it - people get bored easily and can have a short attention span especially at work. Positive culture boosts morale and makes your employees happy to wake up for work. Negative culture does the opposite. It breeds an unhealthy work environment and has a discouraging affect on employee engagement. 

I could go on, but, if you wanted to read a book you'd go to a library.

Summary = Happy employees = happy work space vibes = happy environment = positive culture = success. 

The end .