A company’s culture is very much its identity. Many seem to believe that company culture is something created in time, and there’s no way to know how it will take form at the very beginning.
Except, it’s not exactly like that.
MAYO Designs, for instance, started as a one-woman show and continued in this fashion for nearly 15 years. Without a consistent culture, it would have been very difficult to grow the company to where it is today: a team of 7 people who work together to create amazing results.
Our culture existed from the very beginning, and it only expanded with time. We’ve helped a lot of other businesses refine theirs, while expanding on this to attract their target customers.
Building a Company Culture
Every company already has some form of culture, albeit it may not be integrated into all the stages of communications. So it’s not so much building the culture that’s the issue, but more identifying some key aspects of it, and growing it into something great that you can share with your audience.
Here are some tips:
Define the “what, ” “why,” and “how”
- All businesses have a purpose (what), values (why), and plans (how), but the key to growing a company culture is to identify them, write them down, and see if they are truly reflective of the business culture.
Identify the problems, and fix them
- Company culture also has a role of optimizing the processes that take place inside a business, because the employers know how things should be done or how some issues are resolved. When a process is shaky, one of the first things to consider is how people in a team communicate.
Hire the right people
- The right people aren’t just those with the technical skills for a particular position; they are the people who fit your office culture or, even better, can improve it. For instance, if you’re moving to a green office, it would be great to hire people with an eco-friendly mindset. Of course, that’s not the only basis to hire someone on, but it is important for your office culture to build a team of people who share your company beliefs and values.
Company Culture is Easy to Kill
One can spend years cultivating a company culture, but it’s necessary to give just as much thought to maintain it. It’s a very volatile thing, and some practices can demolish it quickly:
- Creating a hostile environment where people feel they can’t share their opinions
- Nepotism or playing favorites
- Encouraging competition instead of collaboration
- Dividing employees
- Letting bad behavior slide
It’s difficult to say a company operates on a particular set of principles and expect employees to follow them when the management does not reinforce them. Or worse, when they break them.
Define Your Company Culture Now!
At MAYO Designs, we can help you define and develop your company culture, and show you how to leverage them in the way you communicate with the outside world.
Contact us today and let’s redefine your company culture to attract great employees and customers!
