Building a Strengths-Based Company Culture in Post-COVID Times: It Doesn’t Just Happen
When most people think of a great company culture, what comes to mind are abstract images of startup founders in grey sweatpants, ping pong tables, and boxed water. With these images, there’s this idea that culture is either something that just “happens” or that it must be forced. And nothing could be further from reality.
A great company culture is something that doesn’t come about by accident. As Monica Winston, CEO of Optima Lender Services said,
“If you do not develop your corporate culture, it will develop itself. And if it does, you’re taking a risk.”
If you’re lucky, your company culture might organically develop to be collaborative, hardworking, and empathetic. Or, it might foster teams who are bloodthirsty, backstabbing, and toxic. Teams can fall apart if company culture isn’t thought of in advance and left to its own devices without proactive leadership.
In remote times, this is truer than ever. The lack of face-to-face communication can make company culture tricky to implement and gauge, and so setting clear expectations is essential to avoid confusion.
The first step in creating a company culture as a proactive leader is knowing your strengths and what strengths you value in the people you hire. When I talk to my clients, I like to get a bookend on their strengths. First, I look at what they are naturally good at, what they exude without being prompted. Then, I try to find out what they naturally need to work on, what they struggle with without realizing. Having a realistic understanding of what you are good at and where you can improve will help you decide what strengths you value, as well as where your blind spots may lie.
When you’ve decided what strengths you value, you’ll want to make sure you articulate these ideas clearly to your employees and potential hires, so that they can be incorporated daily to foster the culture you desire. Listen to feedback and implement new ideas, staying curious and open-minded. This manages expectations and forces you to continuously improve.
Some best practices for communicating what you value are:
Communicate the mission and goals of your company clearly
Be explicit about your work policy (including when employees are expected to be online, available, etc.)
Establish regular rituals that reflect your company culture
Define how you work together
Schedule some face time
Collect feedback regularly and announce adjustments
When you think you’ve created a strengths-based company culture, stress-test it.
Do your leaders, managers, and employees choose to continually develop each person’s potential?
Is your workforce engaged?
Is your business growing organically?
When you think you’ve created a strengths-based company culture, stress-test it.
About positive affirmations in the workplace
A place that ignores people’s weaknesses
An excuse for people to avoid certain tasks
A replacement for your existing corporate culture
If you’re satisfied with your potential or current company culture, make sure you hire people who match this culture. Communicate what kind of work they will be doing, how teams are structured, what the hours are like, and how your company approaches new challenges. It may be tempting to hire the most “talented” people, but it’s more important to screen for potential fit into your company culture if you want that person to stick with your company in the long-term.
While this is a good place to start, company culture is more complexed and nuanced than meets the eye. If you’re ready to start building a company culture, schedule an appointment with me here: http://stamercoaching.com/contact.html to learn more.
Warmly,
Anne Stamer
President and CEO
Stamer Coaching & Consulting