A great work culture can make the difference between dreading Monday morning (and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday.)
Culture isn’t what is posted on the wall, unless it is lived out in the everyday actions of leaders and individual contributors. There is a well known athlete who’s foundation states they “…provide financial assistance to 501(c)3 agencies that provide services to underserved and disabled children…” Reality is the foundation gave the most money to the athletic program at the university where is daughter attends. Personally, this makes me sad because I actually like the guy.
Your company culture should include how you treat & value your customers and each other. If you don’t directly serve the customer, do you take the same approach when dealing with your co-workers who do serve the customer. If you are being served by a fellow employee, do you treat them with the respect you want them to show your customer?
Leadership- are you open with your team? I worked for a company that did quarterly updates. We’d spend an hour with the top leaders going over what happened the prior quarter, talk about what’s coming and have time for Q&A. The answers didn’t feel “political” but were to the point.
Inspire a culture of learning. As a leader, keep learning and share what you’ve learned. This can be an effective way to get others engaged.
Personally, I try to always treat others with respect. When speaking to people, I work to have the right intent. The intent to help them & not to rip into them. I’m imperfect, so when I do screw up, I apologize.
What makes a great work culture for you?
