How to build a thriving company culture

SG: If I think about what company culture is, it’s not something on the outside but the way people feel on the inside about the organization they work for. Sometimes I think it’s about the things they share as well as what they don’t share. As far as the external component, it has to do with leadership’s ability to harness the feelings of team members and create continuity between those feelings to move company into a certain direction that aligns with the company’s mission, vision, and goals.

SG: When someone starts a new company, it’s something people think about. At first, there may be a tendency toward giving things like free lunches to begin creating relationships. As you drill down further, though, it becomes much deeper. Ultimately, there needs to be a balance between culture and finances that support activities like lunches, incentive trips and things that cost the organization money. But in actuality, there’s a lot people can do to build culture that doesn’t take any financial effort.

SG: First, you have to start with trusting your people. Companies spend a lot of time, or should spend a lot of time, hiring the right people, understanding them, knowing their skill sets and knowing what motivates them.

SG: Second, you need to earn people’s respect. Just because someone has a bigger title, there’s always the question of “Is that person respected because of their title or has that person done something to earn respect?” For me, when it comes to building company culture, you should ask yourself “Am I willing to get into the shoes of a team member to get the job done?” That’s the litmus test you should use. Your goal is to eliminate problems, and if you jump in to help get the job done, it can gain you a lot of respect from your team. They’ll know they can count on you. 

SG: Sometimes that comes down to tone and communication. They’ll say things like, “Here’s how we’re going to do this,” or “I don’t like that…”  Those terms can hold someone back. Sometimes it’s just about thinking about how you’re phrasing things – you can get the same results by simply wording your requests differently. Also, giving credit is huge. When one of your team members accomplishes something, even if you have something to do with it, it should be more important for you to give that person credit than to take it for yourself. It’s much more impactful.

SG: Always try to be compassionate to your team. We have to recognize everyone’s circumstances are different, and not understanding that can be a huge roadblock in building a company culture. We’re all human – we deal with death, divorce, children, taking care of aging parents. Sometimes that can impact an employee’s performance, but this goes back to step one in trusting you’ve hired the right person. If you trust them, and as long as you’re not being taken advantage of, it makes sense to give that person leeway when they’re going through a tough time.

SG: One of the newer concepts that’s interesting is that as part of culture is the idea that people like to work in different ways. Some people want to sit on a couch wrapped in a blanket. Or they feel they can work better from home. Companies need to be respectful of that as long as their employees are working hard, and they should seek to find a balance. Maybe it’s sometimes working from home and then also coming into the office a few days a week. Another thing is allowing people to choose which computer system they use. Simple things like that can influence how someone works.

SG: Creating autonomy for decision making is huge. Historically, to make a decision as a mid-level team member meant you had to get approval from so many different people. There was a lot of red tape, and over time, companies have hurt their culture by not allowing autonomous decisions. Sometimes you just have to trust people to make the right choice, and it ultimately helps build better leaders. I’m notorious for saying “make the right decision.”

SG: Take the time to understand where people want to go in their lives from a career standpoint. Where are they today? Where do they want to go? Be there to encourage them to do the best they can so they’re set up for future opportunities, whether with your company or somewhere else. That’s pretty powerful from a cultural standpoint. Your team members need to know they can come to you to help them create a personal development plan to get them where they want to be. That’s ultimately what you should want to see – people working hard to achieve their own goals. There’s nothing better than that.