How do you give boost to your workplace culture?

Authored by Niddhii Kumar, Head of Internal Strategy, Knowlarity Communications Private Ltd.

A great workplace culture gets created by its people. They are the backbone of the organization and make it unique, strong and resilient. It takes more than an attractive interior design and free food to build a great culture. Yes, they add value. But mostly, it’s the people who make the company culture thriving. It’s the workforce of the organization that has the power to make or break the entire culture. Besides, the following aspects work well in making a great company culture:

Strong leadership

Leadership for some may be about power and control. For others, it is more about direction and responsibility. Also, the ‘why’ of leadership, as well as the ‘why' of that leader, are the two important elements that decide the ‘strength’ of leadership. And once the ‘why’ is answered, next comes ‘how’. In this ‘how’, a leader uses his deep insight and expertise to get an assigned work delivered successfully within the stipulated time frame. These two factors leave a lot of impact on its core team members in carrying out the day to day activities. And we all are aware of the unsaid truth that says people don’t leave companies, they leave their managers.

Volunteering initiatives

Volunteering for NGOs and orphanages in India is another initiative that contributes to a great company culture. In such programs, employees can be implored to spend some free time in volunteering activities like teaching. Such programs help realize the sense of purpose, besides the usual benefits of team building and better peer interaction. Such volunteering activities help employees gain personal respect as well as respect from peers at the same pedestal.

Transparency & Honesty

Transparency & honesty are two-way streets. It implies if I’m expecting these from you, you can demand the same from me. An efficient leader knows that this also applies to loyalty, which is a crucial aspect of a strong culture. Transparent work culture also builds a satisfied workforce because everyone tends to trust everyone in such an environment. Success and failure are a part of every journey, but a loyal and honest workforce will make all the difference between staying down and getting back up.

Brilliant performers & kind-hearted people

Mostly recruitment teams like to hire top performers. They prefer employing people with a track record of rocking performance behind them. With this common belief that a top performer will perform well in a new organization, recruiter prefers this lot of brilliant jerks. However, in doing so, it is also important to evaluate the culture fit at the same time. More important than the person who is always looking to hit the ball for the goal, is the person who steers the ball carefully for the best shot and then passes it on to his teammate. With this attitude, kind-hearted team players make a mark for themselves and encourage the growth of the whole team, not just their own.

Creating belongingness

Creating belongingness among employees is important. In creating this, leaders know how to make employees feel that they are part of the company culture and relate to the long-term mission. Belongingness comes by reinforcing the common sense of purpose in the team. Even simple activities like town-hall meetings, team lunches, and get-togethers add to the same in a substantial way. The best teams function like families. They may quarrel over small things, but whenever the whole ship is in danger, they stand together as one unit. When the team believes in a common goal, they are more aligned with their actions and do whatever it takes to succeed.

Employee wellbeing

In India, a few companies like Knowlarity have already started involving employees in deciding their own rewards and team benefits. Managers may also think of asking employees on how they want to learn a new skill or how they want to choose their work schedule. Such a level of transparency lifts employee morale and takes their engagement to a whole new level. Flexibility is another one of the most important factors that help employees optimize their output and feel valued in the organization at the same time.

Up-skilling the team

After self-respect and peer consensus, the third intangible factor that employees value a lot is the amount of learning that they receive in an organization. The best part is that you can code this up in your company culture right from the foundation, by holding knowledge sharing sessions, brainstorming meetups and interesting kinds of workshops.

All in all, when employees are a part of a larger purpose, they can achieve anything. The question is, how will you get them there?

About the Author

Experienced Professional with a varied background specializing in P&L management and Growth Strategy. Skilled in Marketing Management, Business Planning, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Market Analysis. Strong consulting professional with a Master’s Degree from Monash University.  

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