How is Culture Built in Your Organization?

Top down or bottom up?

Good relations with employees are important. You want to keep in touch with what’s happening on the front lines. Your people are usually the ones closest to your customers. They are also often the best source for new ideas. Ways to improve your business come from the people who live and breath it everyday.

People who work together build bonds. They spend hours together and have a major part of their lives in common.  There’s lots to chat about. Your people will naturally form cliques and socialize after hours.

You’re the leader of your team. Your team probably started as a close-knit group. You’ve bonded with them. But, sooner or later you will find yourself in a special category in the minds of your people. They work for you. You are different. Subtle barriers will form. When that happens, if you haven’t put your stamp on the culture of your organization, it may be too late.

In a vacuum the after-hours social cliques will develop a culture on their own and it may not be to your liking.

From the start build your culture from the top down. It doesn’t need to be heavy handed. A reasonable code of conduct is one way to start. Early on, most businesses are organized from a small group. That presents plenty of formal and informal opportunities to discuss culture. Creating a consensus around principles that make everyone feel comfortable will establish lasting standards. As your business grows, it will be an essential part of the bonds that your people will form organically.

As you hire new people, explain the culture to prospects and use it to filter candidates. The most qualified person is a poor choice if there is not a good fit with the culture you are developing. A “good fit” doesn’t mean conformity. It doesn’t mean that new people must have the same interests and personalities. Diversity is important. I’ve commented on this point in a previous post. However acceptance of the code of conduct and the values of the organization should be requirements for everyone.

Don’t let your culture get defined from the bottom up.