Why building your culture builds your success
/We hear a lot about culture in business these days. Like diversity and inclusion and organisational values, there has been growing recognition that broader workplace culture is a key lever for the delivery of success.
But what is culture, and why is the way you and your people think and behave so important to what you see on your bottom line?
What is corporate culture?
Corporate culture describes the attitudes, practises, and behaviours that guide how you and your employees interact, carry out their duties, and do business.
In the absence of any defining process you put in place, organisational culture will develop naturally over time, informed and influenced by the collective characteristics of the people you recruit.
What this means is that how and who you hire, and setting a framework for the culture you want to develop, matters.
Your culture will be evident in every facet of what you do as a business – from dress code, office setting and working hours to employee perks, turnover, hiring choices, how staff and clients are treated, and client satisfaction.
Why is organisational or workplace culture important to success?
Culture drives success in various ways, usually by shaping the way people think, communicate, and work.
There are a number of areas where your company’s culture will impact on its future success.
The culture of common purpose
When people feel they are part of something with a clear sense of purpose, they are more likely to be motivated, committed, and productive. A company with a strong culture of teamwork and collaboration is more likely to be successful because its employees share a common goal and are willing to work together to achieve it.
The culture of shared values
This is where your values and corporate beliefs really come into play. When you and your teams work within a framework of shared values your business begins to absorb that into its organisational personality. In other words, the desired behaviour becomes the norm.
A culture that values innovation and creativity can drive success by encouraging people to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. Similarly, a culture that values hard work and perseverance can drive success by motivating people to keep going even in the face of obstacles and setbacks.
The culture of success-led behaviours
Successful businesses encourage and reward behaviours that they know make a direct and positive contribution to productivity and profitability.
If you instil a culture that values punctuality and timeliness, you increase the capacity of your teams to deliver on time and within deadlines. Organisations that promotes and values continuous learning and improvement drives its success through skills and knowledge growth.
The culture of community and belonging
I mentioned inclusion earlier, and this is where the results of your EDI work will be most visible in defining your culture.
When people feel included and are treated with respect, they tend to also feel valued, making them more likely to support each other, share resources, and work together towards common objectives.
When you have a strong culture of inclusivity and diversity you are statistically more likely to be successful because you’ll attract a wider range of talent and perspectives, and all your people will feel more connected to each other and to the business and its goals.
The culture of positive mindset
Positive attitude and outlook helps to foster resilience and adaptability and enables your people to embrace change and weather those occasional storms of uncertainty.
A positive and optimistic culture can drive success by encouraging people to focus on solutions rather than problems, and to maintain a sense of optimism and hope even in difficult times.
How is your culture contributing to your performance?
If you haven’t done so already, now might be a good time to audit your company’s culture to see where you’re doing well and where you might have behaviours or attitudes that are getting in the way of your future success.
Culture can be changed with a clear and achievable strategy, and if you’d like to find out more about how Constantia Consulting can help you to identify areas of cultural weakness and then implement the strategy necessary to change direction, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
