[Podcast] The Importance of Culture in the Workplace

Jul 25, 2018

Updated: Aug 6, 2021

S2E7 Two Guys, Coffee & Business

An organization’s culture may be one of its strongest assets or it can be its biggest liability. The reason culture is so important is that its impact goes far beyond the talent in the organization; it has significant influence on the organization’s goals. Culture drives or impedes the success of an organization. With culture impacting the talent, the product, the clients as well as the revenue, why would a company not measure, review and intentionally nurture something so important and critical to its success?

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Two Guys, Coffee & Business Podcast - Workplace Culture

Show Notes

So what does a good corporate culture influence?

Improves Productivity
Employees are more in tune with the needs of their managers, fellow employees and customers
Entrepreneur, an online resource for business owners, says that employees who work for companies with healthy workplace cultures may be more committed and productive.
Increases Marketability
Identity. Culture contributes to the identify and values of your company. For example, if your corporate culture is one that prioritizes setting and meeting goals, your individual workers will be more likely to set and meet goals of their own. It’s a good way to set and maintain the direction of your employees, and without it, it’s hard to keep your company’s values coherent.
Makes an impact on the type of talent your attract and hire
In an article for Harvard Business School's, “Working Knowledge,” professors James Heskett and W. Earl Sasser say that companies with well-defined corporate cultures often are recognized as better places to work, causing them to be known among prospective employees.
Bottom line, a strong company culture attracts better talent and, more importantly, retains that talent.
Forms Unity Between Employees
Employees and organization members take cues from management as they form their opinions about the culture of a workplace. Once employees adopt the shared norms of a company, it unifies employees and management.
Patty Vogan, Entrepreneur.com's “Leadership” columnist, says that corporate culture starts and ends at the top with the business owner and upper management. The unity makes employees feel like they're a part of a team. Entrepreneur online says this feeling makes employees more concerned for the success of the entire business, not their own personal accomplishments.

5 Keys to help create a better corporate culture

Communicate. Understanding why a company follows a particular process and ensuring that information is properly disseminated are crucial. Another example of good communication is to provide opportunities for customers to visit a particular factory and meet with manufacturing employees. Let the two groups discuss the impact the products have on customers.
Allow for more control of work. In manufacturing, much of the work is predetermined, based on the nature of the day-to-day process. Each day and hour might be prescribed, with the employee having little say over his or her schedule. Not surprisingly, this could dampen engagement. Great manufacturing leaders figure out the amount of control they can give back to the employees, which allows them some choice in potentially rote procedures.
Create accountability. Great managers work with employees to establish how "we can all be" accountable to the work. When done right, accountability creates higher engagement. It is important to make sure underperforming employees and managers are held accountable, even in situations where management structures may not lend themselves to performance accountability.
Make sure people feel like they matter. Perhaps the most important task for a leadership team to figure out -- how to make every associate feel like they matter when they arrive at work every day. This includes making sure every employee understands how they fit into the complex infrastructure of their company. For example, bring customers to the plant to speak with employees about the impact of their products or take "field trips" to customer factories to help plant employees see how the product is used in the different products the client produces. Or hosting breakfasts for the night shift regularly to draw people together in a positive way.
Be available, and be engaged. Leaders must be engaged, as employee engagement is a two-way street. Manufacturing managers must be approachable and receptive to employee concerns, and incorporate feedback into enriching future procedures.

Do you have any tips that help create a great workplace culture? If so, tell us in the comments section below!

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