How do you communicate with workplace culture?

Company culture is a fundamental part of an organisation. Getting culture right is crucial to your long-term success; it tells your staff how to behave, how to treat their jobs and how things are done in your business. It covers your company vision, ethos, values and beliefs.

An organisational culture can be hard to quantify but it’s there, and communicating it to your staff and customers is something you should undertake proactively.

Why should you communicate company culture?

By simply working in your organisation, your staff live and breathe your company culture every single day. But if you fail to articulate it to them and instead let it develop organically, you’ll find that different members of staff will view your culture very differently. It’s a lesson that Google learnt not too long ago.

By communicating your company culture and how it enables your business, it becomes more consistent and more effective with everyone understanding it.

Be totally transparent

You have to be completely open about your culture and how your business fits with that. Staff will not be on board with it if you say one thing but do another. For example, if you run a company that provides software to promote remote working, refusing a flexible working policy would go against what you stand for.

You also need to be open with your staff when you communicate company culture to build trust and employee engagement. Members of senior management should engage with staff so they know clearly what the company purpose is, what they are striving for and how they will achieve it.

Be authentic

Nothing will undermine your company culture more than if you merely pay lip service to it. Company culture should not be seen as an optional extra but rather and essential part of your business armour. It’s especially important that it is attractive and authentic if you want your staff to buy into it and be in it for the long haul.

And to be authentic you really need to live and breathe it if you want to engage your staff and get them to live and breathe it too.

Lead by example

Staff won’t buy into your company culture if you don’t buy into it yourself so set your core values and stick to them. If you promote great communication and an open door policy, don’t hide away in your office with the door shut every day.

If allowing all workers to have their say and creating a collaborative environment is important, make sure you really do take steps to listen to all employees when they have an idea and don’t dismiss them out of hand.

Show appreciation

Never underestimate the benefit of saying thank you – it can create a culture of recognition and help your staff to buy into your company culture. If they feel like they are appreciated, they feel more invested in your business and what it stands for.

Showing appreciation promotes feelings of happiness, positivity and cheerfulness. It also leads to a “we’re in this together” mind set which leads to a more positive workplace environment and greater business success.

Thread it into everything you do

Company culture needs to run through everything you do within the business with a top down approach. Try and educate your staff with culture training from the moment they join - you can make it part of your induction process and include it at your company meetings.

In addition, make sure your HR department considers cultural fit when recruiting and think about how you can incorporate it into performance management. If you promote a collaborative environment, then having employees compete against each other with tough targets is likely to produce a more toxic and counterproductive atmosphere.

Have culture champions

In your business you will no doubt have people who embody your company culture. They could be leaders within your organisation or they could simply be employees who really believe in what you’re doing. Recognising them however, as great examples of your company culture can really help to uphold your culture.

By championing your culture kings and queens you encourage other workers to emulate them and to align their work patterns and behaviours with your culture too.

Author: Laura Sands

Laura is a writer who enjoys getting into the detail of subjects and sharing that knowledge with snappy, interesting content. When not typing away, she enjoys walks in the woods and curling up with a good book and mug of something hot.

The ideologies, principles, rules and policies of an organization form its culture. The ways the employees interact amongst themselves and with others outside the organization contribute to the culture of the workplace. The culture gives an identity to the organization and makes it distinct from others.

Communication and relationship play an important role in a healthy organization culture.

Effective communication is essential for a positive culture at the workplace. Transparency in communication is mandatory at all levels for better understanding of work and better bonding among individuals.

Culture is simply the result of the interaction amongst the employees working for a considerable period of time in the organization. A better employee relation promotes a positive culture whereas conflicts and disagreements spoil the ambience and spread negativity all around at the workplace.

Communication plays an important role in increasing the comfort factor amongst the employees and eventually a healthy culture at the workplace.

• The communication between the top management and the employee needs to be effective for better work culture. The management must clearly pass on necessary information to all the employees so that they know what they actually are supposed to do at the workplace. The employees must be very clear with their key responsibility areas for them to deliver their level best. The roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per specialization, educational qualification and area of interest.
• The employees should have the liberty to share their ideas and concepts on an open forum to come to an innovative solution benefitting all. It is essential to come to an alternative acceptable to one and all for a healthy culture at the workplace. Discussions are important before implementing any new idea.
• The consistent performers must have a say in the strategy making. Such activities go a long way in motivating the employees and creating a culture where employees stick to the organization for a long time.
• Morning meetings are essential to effectively communicate the agenda of the day to one and all. Every employee should be treated equally and no one should feel neglected or left out at the workplace. Quick feedbacks are important.
• The employees must develop the habit of using planners and organizers to avoid forgetting critical issues.
• More emphasis should be laid on written communication as compared to verbal communication as no one can ever back out in cases of written communication.
• Emails are an important way of communication at the workplace. All the employees who ought to be a part of the communication should be kept in the loop. The emails should be self-explanatory and provide common information to all.
• The superiors must be accessible to all the members and lend a sympathetic ear in cases of queries.
• Effective communication plays an important role in increasing the morale of the employees.

Relationship

• The employees must avoid conflicts and disagreements at the workplace as it lead to no solution.
• Don’t find faults in your fellow workers. One should be a little more flexible and understanding.
• Your colleagues can be your friends also; after all you spend the maximum time at the workplace. Don’t always think that your colleagues would do harm to you.
• Avoid controversies and rumours at the workplace.
• One should always work with an open mind. Don’t drag issues unnecessarily at workplace.
• Accept the challenges with a smile.
• Go out once in a while with your colleagues for dinners, small get-togethers and parties. Such activities help in breaking the ice and also promote a healthy culture at the workplace.
• Celebrate important festivals at the workplace for a positive work culture.
• Whenever possible, help your colleagues.

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Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)

The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.

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