Building and sustaining strong company culture has always been a priority in any industry and business. With increased virtual arrangements and decentralized business models, it is more important than ever to keep your culture strong.
What is Company Culture?
We have all heard of company culture, but what exactly is it and how do we execute it? Can you define a strong culture?
Although company cultures vary, there are a few key aspects of building company culture including:
- Work environment. Choose your work environment wisely—consider the wellbeing, collaboration, efficiency, and comfort of your employees.
- Mission and vision. What is the overall goal of your company? Where do you want to be in five years and how will you get there?
- Leadership style. How do you want to be seen as a leader? Whichever way you choose to lead, your team will follow.
- Ethics and values. Who do you strive to be as a company? What do you value and how do you go about displaying those values?
The big picture: establish your company culture based on how you want your employees to feel about the work that your company does, the values they have, and your vision for your company’s and team’s futures. The culture that you choose will be unique to your organization—make sure it aligns with your structure and the people you hire.
Why is Company Culture Important?
Believe it or not, company culture can make or break your business—it impacts every part of your organization from recruitment and retention to sales.
There are countless benefits of building a strong company culture including:
- Aligned expectations and goals;
- Strong working relationships;
- Employee attraction and retention;
- Improved brand identity; and
- Employee engagement.
Remember, company culture doesn’t just benefit your employees — it also impacts your bottom line. For example, did you know that companies with strong cultures see 40% higher employee retention and 72% higher engagement rates?
If you want a successful company, build a strong culture and focus on your people.
Culture Building Tips
The idea of creating company culture might sound simple, might sound simple, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
1. Establish Your Leadership Style
How you establish your leadership style will set the tone for the way your entire organization operates. Do you want to have a traditional leadership style of top-to-bottom communications and decision making or will your style consist of open communication and collaboration?
2. Determine Company Values
After you establish your leadership style, it’s time to determine your company values. What are your personal and professional values? Once you choose your values, prioritize them in every aspect of your company culture and communications.
3. Involve Your Team
When it comes to building company culture, team construct is at the center—although leadership establishes culture, it is the employees who foster that culture that have the greatest impact. Include your employees in conversation about culture and to welcome any feedback.
4. Write it Down
After establishing your culture goals and values, create a culture statement and include that statement for internal and external use. When onboarding new hires, communicate your culture statement and remind them of the importance of maintaining that culture.
5. Communicate & Lead by Example
Part of building company culture involves communicating to your management team that your culture is a priority and expectation. Educate your leadership team to be the biggest champions of your company’s culture and lead by example.
Committed to a Culture of Collaboration
At Kodiak Building Partners, we are in the business of people— our vision is to create a culture that empowers local leaders to succeed in the communities they serve. As Kodiak continues to grow in the future, we are dedicated to making a conscious effort to communicate consistently with our employees, dedicate time and resources to help them meet their goals, and prioritize the family we have built.