Unveiling the secrets of a robust corporate culture, a seasoned manufacturing executive shares industry-agnostic steps. These universal strategies, applicable across sectors, can help organizations foster a dynamic and cohesive environment, driving productivity and innovation.
Culture is the single most important ingredient in any company’s success.
How do we build something we can’t easily define and measure?
- As leaders we make decisions everyday with incomplete information
- We analyze what we know, trust our gut, place our bets and ultimately lead through the ambiguity
- There are six guiding principles to building good culture
Measure it so you can manage it
Gather qualitative and quantitative input at all levels through surveys, one-on-one conversations, and regularly scheduled feedback
- Ask how people are feeling and what can be improved
- Without this data to guide your gut instincts you will be flailing in the dark
Stay accountable to your values
Companies often fail to bake values into their performance management system
- Identify the behaviors associated with each value and get formal feedback during all reviews on each behavior
- This sends a strong message that values are never negotiable
- Values fuel individual and collective success-no exceptions
Create a safe environment for feedback
Rewarding people for speaking truth to power is critical
- All it takes is one mistake to instill a fear of speaking up that will permanently inhibit your ability to get honest input
- The biggest hurdle to getting good data arises when your managers have ignored, shutdown, or reacted negatively to honest feedback
Keep trying
Culture is never finished. It takes years to build and moments to destroy.
- One bad apple can spoil a good culture and different moments require different cultures (like a pandemic).
- There is no single winning formula. But hard work and incremental improvements will eventually get you the culture you want.
Don’t ignore signs of trouble
If it feels awkward or off, figure out why, no matter what
- Sometimes you can’t tell whether it is a personal or a work matter bothering somebody, but if it feels odd it’s often a culture issue that should be probed and learned from
Raise up values as aspirations
Embed stories of values in daily work to show that your values are practical and integrated into all aspects of your company.
- Always lead by example by living your values and, most importantly, apologizing when you fail to.
- Ask new employees what they think our values are.
