How healthy is your team culture?
We talk about culture in business A LOT, but do we really know what is means? How do we know if ours is good? How do we know how to make it better?
Have you ever wondered what makes customers visit one local coffee shop over the other? Or maybe you wonder why other companies have an easier time hiring employees? Our culture has the ability to do what planning, checklists, and training can’t… it’s what sets great businesses a part from good businesses.
So the question becomes, why aren’t we focusing more time on developing our culture? Perhaps we get lost in the ambiguity of it all which is why we redirect our focus on numbers, KPIs, and trackable goals (which, I want to be clear, are also important!). However, just because we know where we want to go, doesn't mean we know how to get there until we understand the core of our business: our culture.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Culture is the share values of your team, the actions you take (big or small) within your team, the way you interact with one another. Every company has a culture; how strong is yours? I’ll share with you a way you can check…
We ALL contribute to our culture -- every single employee, manager, director, owner. What we tolerate, what we celebrate, what we talk about, how we structure our day, how we solve problems -- they all trickle in to forming our unique culture.
“So what is my culture?” you might ask… That's such a great question and if you're asking that right now, I already know you want to make positive impact in your business. A simple way to get a pulse on your unique culture is to ask your employees one simple question:
“how would you describe our culture?”
Pay attention to the things you are hearing the most from your team, note the comments that don't feel aligned to the company mission and purpose, and ask yourself: is this the culture I envisioned for our team?
If the feedback you're receiving isn't align with your vision or you're just simply wanting to enhance your team culture, here are a few things to focus on:
Become great communicators - talk about your values and how those are demonstrated in your company, talk about development and check in with your team, talk about the vision and purpose of your company to stay aligned. Keep sharing the direction and goals with your team to keep them involved in the mission.
Celebrate with your team often - acknowledge the wins, big or small! Celebrating with your team is more than a superficial act, it is reinforcing what works well in your culture and encourages them to continue those positive actions. It also boosts morale on your team — helping them feel valued and connected.
Be consistent in your practices - people adapt to the behaviours that are the norms of your team. What’s great about that is your can influence this! When you display consistency in the practices you want to thrive, your team will adapt and align.
Doing a culture check-in a couple times a year will help you build a strong team and make sure you're on track to the vision, goals, and purpose of your business.
I mean, what's the worse that can happen… you have happier employees? ;)