An Intentional Corporate Culture

In a Glassdoor survey, 56% of participants said company culture is more important than salary when it comes to job satisfaction. That’s really saying something. And 73% of participants reported they would not apply to a company unless its values aligned with their own personal values.

So, what is company culture, exactly? It’s an organization’s values, ethics, vision, behaviors and work environment. And, guess what? Culture will form without you doing a thing—it just won’t necessarily be a good one.

So, whose job is it to set a company’s culture anyway? The responsibility lies with the owner and/or the CEO.  These key leaders will not only set the company’s values, ethics and vision, but they will also need to over-communicate it, and live it, until it becomes second nature.

But there’s more than a list of bullet points on a page behind a company’s culture. Culture also comprises the behaviors and work environment of the organization. Say a new hire joins the company. The established behaviors and work environment won’t be immediately clear. They are built over time by observing others. Are employees highly formal or casual? How much time can be spent catching up before settling down to work in the morning? How does leadership communicate to employees? Are employees given a voice frequently? Do they feel their needs are heard and addressed?

In other words, as a leader, you need to live and breathe the exact company culture that you want to take root. Want open, honest dialogue? Trust? A strong bottom-line? You must lead the way by showing your associates through your words and actions where your focus lies.

JOE KIEDINGER

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