A lot of business owners don’t realise how important it is to have a strong and consistent workplace culture. Not only does it facilitate cohesion and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal, but it can also have a very real and direct effect on your bottom line. Employees working for companies that have strong positive cultures are more motivated, record fewer sick days, and feel fulfilled in their roles. They are also more productive and will behave more ethically. Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can build a positive culture in your organisation.
Transparency in the Evaluation System
Performance management is essential in establishing a culture where accountability is prioritised. You also want your employees to know where they stand at all times and if their behaviour upholds your company’s values. The best way to do that is to have a clear and transparent evaluation process in your organisation. Some organisations will go as far as sitting down with employees before evaluations to discuss talking points and ask them for recommendations of things they would like to be discussed.
Not every company knows how to establish these kinds of systems, however. If you need help in that department, we suggest you click here to see StaffCircle’s article on performance management appraisal systems. You’ll learn exactly what they are, how they work, and how you can implement them properly in your organisation. You’ll also learn about different approaches you could take and some of the employee and organisational benefits of conducting regular appraisals.
Build a Trusting Relationship
You cannot build a positive culture in your organisation if it is not built on trust. Without trust, there will be no dialogue, and you can’t establish a strong culture if you don’t engage in frequent conversations with your employees. They also have to trust that the information they volunteer will be acted upon.
When you do make adjustments based on recommendations, it shows that you are in a truly harmonious relationship with your team. They will also know that their working conditions are not rigid and that you are ready to accommodate them at any given time as long as demands are reasonable. This will give them a whole other level of appreciation for their job and breed loyalty.
Employees who trust their leaders are also more likely to respect their decisions. They might not be happy about certain changes, but they will believe you when you tell them that it’s for the company’s best interests. It’s also very important that your actions and those of managers are in line with your company’s values if you want them to buy-in.
Sit Down with Your Team
As part of your culture strategy, you have to know what a positive culture means for your organisation in the first place. A positive culture will mean something very different to different businesses depending on their nature and the realities of their workplaces.
You will need to sit down with leaders in your organisation and start identifying which values you want to build your company culture around. Letting your leaders leave their imprint on your culture will make it more likely that they’ll adopt it, believe in it, and eventually champion it.
Ask for Employee Feedback
You also need to put a system in place for employees to give their feedback. It can be totally anonymous too. Let them know that the reporting system can be used not only for dealing with contentious issues, but to give constructive feedback as well.
You have no idea how much it could mean for your team to see an issue they were all silently complaining about getting resolved after being reported. You could also let them know that you made the modifications after hearing complaints. This will show them that you truly care about improving their work environment, and they will have more trust in the system. This will push more of them to give their opinions and allow you to constantly improve the workplace.
Recognition and Rewards
Companies that don’t reward their top employees are making a big mistake. Only speaking with employees when something is wrong is another major issue. You could sap the morale out of a great employee by only recognising the things they’re doing wrong. You will not get better performance from them by taking this approach. They might start being disengaged and even secretly resent you. Their performance is likely to suffer as a result and they might end up leaving sooner than you expected. This is why you need to have a rewards system in place in your organisation. You can also give rewards to teams instead of individuals to prevent claims of favouritism and encourage healthy competition.
This is all you need to know to start establishing a positive workplace culture in your organisation. You’ll get a lot of dividends from giving your employees the best workplace possible and they’ll pay you back with better work and more loyalty.
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