Why your culture is affecting your bottom line

How are things done around your workplace? How do you manage challenges and celebrate successes? What do your bosses’ and colleagues’ behaviour, language and expectations say about your work culture? And if you found something you wanted to change, how would you go about it?

Culture might be allotted to the fluffy side of business management, but only by those who don’t understand it. Our workplace culture is vital to our success or pending doom – but often ignored at the top.

Culture is how we make sense of our workplaces – what is normal, what is acceptable and how we should act. If you’ve ever heard of someone leaving a job because of the workplace, not the work, they were probably talking about the culture.

Our workplace cultures are dynamic, constantly evolving and adapting to surrounding conditions that affect how we perceive, think and feel about problems. These assumptions have been invented, discovered and developed by the group through their experiences and are taught to new members.

In an increasingly competitive environment the culture of any company will determine how it reacts to new situations, learns from mistakes, and perceives events as opportunities or threats and whether it is proactive or reactive.

Ask yourself these questions to start understanding the culture of your workplace.

1. What’s the communication style of your leader?

There is no greater source of influence on a culture than the leaders’ communication. How often you hear from them, the words used, body languages etc., are vital to everyone’s understanding of the culture. When a boss flies through an office in a foul mood, the impact on the morale can last days. The CEO and Senior Managers need to have the same understanding of the company for when a new direction is given, everyone will turn to their manager to try and capture their ‘true reaction’. You can’t fake authenticity.

2. What is the champagne popped for? What does your company celebrate?

Do you celebrate sales wins, birthdays, length of tenure, your clients’ wins, the company’s anniversaries, Fridays, excellence, someone having no sick days? What you celebrate, and conversely what you don’t, says a lot about what your culture values. Wanting a client-focused culture? Celebrate your clients’ wins and milestones as well as your own.

3. Blue skying together. How are the big strategic decisions made?

Behind a closed door, with open consultation, with the larger management team? How the team is engaged in strategic decisions determines its success. Does your workplace trust and value its team’s contribution or hand the changes down?

4. How would you rate the quality of your internal communication?

Do you know what is going on? Are your internal communication channels sporadic? Even if you have the best channels in place, remember that the CEO’s tone of voice is more powerful in communicating respect in the workplace than a one-page memo to all staff.

5. From an outsider’s perspective, what does your brand say about you?

If your brand was a person would it be old fashion and stuffy? Or creative and forward looking? Your brand is not your logo so have a look at how the phone is answered, how staff dress, the quality of your collateral and the attitude of your staff to really get a handle on what your brand is saying about your culture.

6. Words versus Action. Does your company live its values?

There is a big difference between hanging some words on your wall to living the values. For example, if a bank believes they have a responsibility to support female customers to achieve their financial goals, they will have women-specific programs and policies. Checking in on how the values are lived, and not just spoken about, is the key to knowing what your company really believes.

7. What are the stories that are brought out time and time again at social events?

The all-nighters, the drunken antics or the resounding client success? The behaviour championed is the behaviour encouraged.

Managing organisational culture is not easy. It is a constant process of change and development, and the best investment you will ever make to your company. Organisational culture will determine how the company deals with change and competition, growth and downturns, how it will maintain staff loyalty and orientate new staff.

Communication is the key to managing organisational culture. It is the medium and the pacifier to the anxiety of change, the way we know we need to change and the way we know we have.

Want to improve your organisation’s culture? Zadro specialises in strategic integrated communications. Find out more: www.zadroagency.com.au