We know it’s cliché to say, “culture is key,” but it is. For most of us, unity and inclusion are important in our daily lives. Sadly, there are a lot of places where you won’t find either of these, especially when it comes to workplaces.
Our boss lady is a little intense when it comes to culture (which we tend to give her a hard time about), but all of us find it really refreshing. In fact, our newest employee, Erica, came to work for #team834 because of our kickass culture.
Not everyone can be as awesome as we are naturally, so we’ve put together a few simple ways to help your staff feel more unified and included in the workplace.
Communicate – It’s That Simple
Communication is the simplest thing you can do to promote a healthy and productive work environment. Being transparent, especially with leadership decisions, is huge for promoting a positive work environment and inspiring your staff to work together.
Do: Have regular meetings with your staff to keep them updated on current projects, company goals, and things that will impact them.
Don’t: Call a meeting just to have a meeting. Don’t waste people’s time. We’ve all been there, and we all hate it.
Reinforce Your Culture with Events
Regularly set aside time to spend with your team, even if it’s something simple like a team lunch outing, a walk or mini golf. These breaks in the day reinforce that you care about your team as people, and not just as employees.
Maybe this means throwing a quarterly party or meeting with the team regularly to review the state of the company. Do whatever suits your culture (Just don’t do trust falls. No one likes trust falls).
Do: Schedule a regular team getaway.
Don’t: Forget that your employees are people, too.
Hire and Fire by Your Core Values
Your core values are the foundation of your company culture. In fact, our best friend, EOS®, specifically instructs companies to hire and fire by them. If you interview or hire someone that is an absolute rock star in their area of expertise but doesn’t exhibit your core values…they’re just not that into you.
Wait. What was that? You don’t have core values? That might be your problem! Figure those out first, and then work on a culture that supports them.
Do: Hire rock stars, but only if they fit your core values.
Don’t: Let one person drag down the team!
Have Fun
If you really want a team that gives it their all, then you gotta have some fun. Want a hardworking staff? Appreciate them and make mental health a focus.
If it’s a nice day, take a walk to the ice cream shop or maybe pause for another headstand competition or a paper airplane flying contest. (Editor’s note: Kim wants me to include here that she won, but all she managed to do was get a paper airplane eternally stuck in our rafters.)
Do: Be a little spontaneous every once in a while.
Don’t: Be all work and no play.
Empower Your Employees
Here’s a big lesson: your employees are a resource and the representation of your brand.
Empower and encourage your staff to attend events, classes or workshops that can help further their skills and career advancement. This will only result in better work performance and boosted morale.
Do: Trust your employees. If you can’t trust them, don’t hire them.
Don’t: Be a micromanager. No one likes that!
Want to see the difference that a killer culture makes? Contact us. We’ll show what an awesome culture can do for you.
