“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” goes the famous quote from legendary management consultant Peter Drucker. Put simply, it means that while you can put all your effort into strategy, it won’t necessarily drive growth. Instead, Drucker believes that a company with a strong culture has a much better foundation for success. Below are a number of points to consider when it comes to building a truly powerful company culture.
Set some shared goals
It’s a company’s beliefs and behaviors that determine how its people interact and drive things forward. Setting out our overarching goals in bitesize statements helps ensure every person knows they are part of something bigger than themselves and empowers them to know that their day-to-day contribution is always valued and meaningful. This is where the true essence of culture-building lies.
Money can’t buy culture
The real key to culture comes in providing people with an authentic environment that gives them access to the tools, education, and resources they need to innovate, share ideas and achieve their career and life goals – while also meeting those of their employer.
Creating an environment where people can achieve greater job satisfaction will always take your company much further than “trendy’ facilities ever will.
Create a culture with flex
- A good culture is flexible to the needs of the business and its people
- Embrace diversity, be inclusive, and welcome new ideas and ways of thinking
- Encourage people to think differently, ask questions, and take calculated leaps of faith
Get beyond the business
- Cultivating and maintaining a progressive culture really boils down to stripping away the superfluous layers of business thinking and treating employees as human beings
- Understanding people on an emotional level is vital
- Find out what interests and motivates them and get to know what their life is like outside of working hours