HOW TO CREATE A COHESIVE
COMPANY CULTURE
aving a job that pays well and has good prospects is no longer enough to keep workers engaged and committed . The millennial generation is coming of age and expects a workplace that contributes positively to their work-life balance .
This means injecting fun into your company culture , a feat which is possible without affecting your bottom line . In fact , research suggests that if you get making work fun right , you can even increase productivity and reduce staff turnover as well as making work an enjoyable environment . Here are a few ideas about creating a cohesive company culture to get you started .
CREATING OWNERSHIP AT EVERY LEVEL
Employees that feel connected to the business at a personal level will be far more committed and experience job satisfaction too . This means that management must be able to demonstrate to each individual how he or she fits into the bigger picture and why their job is important .
Using dashboards at various levels and giving individuals the freedom to make their own decisions contributes to a sense of ownership . Being trusted to do the job and to work in a way that draws upon each individual ’ s skills and knowledge is extremely empowering and leads to high levels of job satisfaction .
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
It ’ s very difficult to ask employees to demonstrate certain behaviours if , as the leader , you ’ re not willing to abide by the same rules yourself . Whether it ’ s offering transparent and clear communication or acting with integrity and respect , if you want to create a certain culture , you have to lead by example .
Staff will respect a management team that is committed to the same goals and hold themselves accountable to the same high standards they expect of their staff . This creates a culture of everyone being “ on the same side ” rather than an “ us versus them ” mentality which can be so damaging .
COMMUNICATE SMALL AND BIG NEWS
All too often , company communication only occurs when there ’ s some big news which needs to be conveyed , and this can often be negative . Encouraging two-way communication at all levels can help to create a more open work culture , removing some of the negativity .
Tools such as Slack or Google Hangouts can help to improve communication in companies which work across multiple locations or where remote working is permitted . Encourage individuals to share information about their workloads , projects , and successes , and you ’ ll find the workforce will naturally become more cohesive .
DON ’ T FORGET TO HAVE FUN !
While all of the above are important aspects of creating the right culture , injecting a little fun into the workplace is the final piece of the puzzle . Whether it ’ s low-level competitions or weekends away , finding ways to peer behind the corporate facade and getting to know each other on a more personal level will inspire loyalty and respect . This will lead to the highly soughtafter company culture that will benefit one and all . +
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