While many often focus on the bottom line, our leaders need to be equally concerned with the top line: company culture. Strong company culture isn’t just about being “cool” or having fun all the time; it’s about inspiring employees to feel valued in their work and engaged in what they do. When leaders strive to create a vibrant culture, they inspire employees to engage in their work.
Culture evolves from the top down.
Culture can be thought of as the environment that drives your organization. This environment is created and communicated by leaders, and management is ultimately responsible for influencing a company’s culture.
Companies need to evolve over time to stay relevant in their markets, so it follows that cultures must also evolve if they want to remain effective. If a company doesn’t adapt its culture to new circumstances (and leadership isn’t willing or able), then the chances of success decrease significantly.
Leaders need to stay proactive in creating a positive culture. A culture rooted in gratitude, healthy work balance, and valuing team members will be the most effective.
It’s not just about the environment; it’s about energy.
Energy is a powerful force, but what does it mean when we talk about the energy of a company?
The answer lies in how people feel at work—the level of positivity and engagement they have with their jobs and co-workers. And while this may seem like an intangible concept, there are ways to measure employee energy levels: surveys, weekly check-ins, and even quality of work can all be good indicators of employees’ energy levels. Companies can use measures like these to gauge changes in employees’ attitudes over time.
If you want high-performing employees who are happy at work, then it’s essential to pay attention to their energy levels and respond accordingly.
Understanding your employee engagement levels is critical to success.
Employee engagement is a measure of how employees feel about their work—low engagement results in low productivity and high turnover, which can hurt your company’s bottom line. Employees who feel positive emotions towards their work are more likely to be involved and productive at work. Employees engaged with the company are more likely to remain committed to the organization and contribute more toward its goals than those who are not involved.
Deciding what should be included in your company culture.
Many things are considered culture building. Some companies choose to have breakroom snacks or team-building dinners to foster relationships among staff. Other companies may choose to add additional benefits to work, such as continued education available to staff. The more cliche culture-building perks have been known to be ping pong tables and office happy hours; however all of these are valid in creating a company culture and producing a happy workforce.
When deciding what should be included in company culture, interview current employees to understand what they would like to see implemented. The answers to these questions can help you choose work perks such as more time off, employee recognition, and team-building activities, etc.
Engaging employees and creating a vibrant culture is a powerful tool to help companies reach their goals. It can also be a significant factor in keeping your company relevant and competitive in today’s fast-paced world. Employees who feel engaged are more likely to work harder, stay with you longer, and deliver better results.