When you think of the term “business culture”, what comes to mind? This is somewhat of an umbrella term that includes a number of factors including the business values, policies and the way employees conduct themselves too – it encompasses many different aspects that work together, creating a culture that is hopefully positive and uplifting.
Yet how do we know? As your business culture is not tangible, and cannot be measured in any set way, it can be difficult to determine what kind of culture you have cultivated. Utilising tools such as surveys could be a good way to determine what kind of engagement and culture you’ve created, as well as looking at predetermined Key Performance Indicators. The results returned can be enlightening and help to steer you in future directions for your business.
This then brings us to the next question – what is it you, and your teams, want (and expect) from your culture? Depending on where you look, you’ll likely come across a number of different culture types. Identifying which one you have- and which one you want- is a good first step to being able to continue evolving.
Perhaps you covet a Clan culture, where your business runs similarly to a family, where employees develop authentic relationships and positions tend to be long-term?
Or maybe a Hierarchical Culture is best suited for your business, where, as the name suggests, a hierarchy is created, with decisions often made by managers and then filtered down to those on the “lower” levels?
On the other hand, an Adhocracy Culture takes the opinions and ideas of all employees on board – useful in industries where creativity and innovation is key.
Then there’s a Market Culture, which is arguably the type of culture that we typically tend to associate with business – where profit and being in the lead is key. Although this type of culture can be very rewarding and offer great success, it also requires a lot of determination and strength that may be extremely challenging to those working within the business.
Whatever culture you want, you must first identify the culture you have. Being open with employees and listening to their feedback is important. Once you have done that, agreeing what culture you want and setting out defined steps as to how you are going to achieve them is an important first step. Looking at your values, reward and recognition as well as levels of engagement are also vital when considering your culture and any changes you want to make.
It goes without saying that when trying to implement any change to business culture, time is going to be required. There are no quick fixes, and you may have resistance from colleagues who differ in their opinion when it comes to the type of culture you wish to have.
Here at AvloHR, we have over 15 years’ experience in working with a range of businesses, helping them to identify and change cultures within their organisation.
To find out more, please get in touch.
