‘If you do not develop your corporate culture, it will develop itself. Corporate culture doesn’t happen by accident – and if it does, you’re taking a risk.’
I. Company culture is often referred to as “the way things are done around here”. But what does that really mean?
Many employers believe that their company culture is intact, and their employees are motivated to do their job as best as possible. In reality, this can’t be further from the truth. A positive corporate culture is, unfortunately, the exception rather than the rule. Most companies around the world fail to see the benefits coming from happy employees and are only interested in short-term profitability. The culture can’t and shouldn’t be based just on the financial benefits and potential profit increase. It should rather focus on the growth of its employees and ensuring their long-term commitment. One of B EYE’s values and goals is to attract and retain the best people in order to help them continuously improve and become the best of the best in the industry.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is a famous quote from legendary management consultant and writer Peter Drucker. We, at B EYE, believe that culture eats everything. That is in no way saying that strategy is not important – rather that a strong and empowering culture is a steady route to reach organizational success. Our company believes that every organization should set its values around its people and clients, so in turn, the culture can thrive and create a positive environment. Without an environment that promotes employees’ growth, there is no way the goals can be reached, as every company’s biggest asset are precisely the people that work in it. We fully believe in this assertion and support our colleagues’ growth through a mentorship program; induction program; constant opportunities for career growth; continuous training – both internal and external, soft and technical related; various social benefits and regular team building oriented events.
II. Who are the key actors driving the corporate culture? How can such people be recognized?
The role of the protagonist in the company culture or the ambassador of goodwill is one of high importance. Some of the characteristics that such ambassadors have and can be recognized by are:
- They are highly engaged in the initiatives organized by the company. Such people try their best to participate in initiatives that help the team get close (such as team buildings, company events and initiatives).
- They encourage other employees to be more engaged and productive. Regardless if they are your superiors or inferiors, they will always push you to strive for excellence.
- They are enthusiastic and proactively organize team events. Not only do they participate in the existing ones, but they also think of new and innovative ways to bring the team together.
- They bring people up and recognize them for the job well done. Sometimes a simple “good job” is all a person needs to have a positive mindset and improve their work. The “protagonist” is always there to cheer people and point out their good features.
- They are inclusive and put the effort to make everyone feel welcomed and understood. Whether it’s a new person or a long-term employee, the ambassadors of goodwill will try to communicate and make all the employees feel like they belong.
People that support the company culture are pivotal as they will champion loyalty, performance and engagement. And where there are engaged employees, there is a strong business that flourishes.
The role of the antagonist in the company culture or the toxic person is sadly, as in all stories, existing and the effects of such people need to be minimized. You can easily find them in a company as they are:
- Starting rumors. Such people are always trying to make the workplace chaotic and tense by starting rumors. It can be a rumor that a colleague is leaving or that the business isn’t going well and a bankrupt is on the horizon.
- Putting people down. The antagonist likes to feel better than everyone else. He does that by constantly criticizing people for their work and lifestyle, making the others question their own worth.
- Emphasizing only on the problems a company has. The company could be recognized as “The Best Employer of The Year” and they will still find issues with the way things are done and stress on them in front of the other employees, which could then lead to an unstable environment.
Just like a virus, toxic employees subtly spread their negative attitude to others. Their harmful, contrarious actions can easily spread to other employees who then begin to agree with and identify with the toxic individual.
A hostile environment makes for unnecessary stress, which is why when an antagonist is recognized, he/she should be stopped as soon as possible. The building blocks of all companies are their employees, and so it is every employee’s job to strive to spread a positive attitude and take the necessary actions to stop the negative influence that is seen in others.
III. Why should we always maintain a positive company culture?
Some of the effects that can be observed when there is a negative corporate culture are hypercompetition, office gossip, and bad office discipline. Hypercompetition is a common issue since when the whole culture is built around profitability, employees start to believe that the only way to be successful and valued is to be greater than everyone else. This can have major negative consequences in companies where people work in teams and each team leader needs to educate and help others grow. This, however, can’t be done, if they’re constantly trying to put their colleagues down and show them their superiority. Office gossip and bad discipline are other negative outcomes that shouldn’t be overlooked. For a company to grow and improve every day, the office environment needs to allow it to do so. An environment that is filled with gossips and is chaotic can only lead to one thing – badly finished projects and a hostile workplace.
The company culture affects the way people in the organization interact with one another, the way the company conducts its business and the way the team interacts with its customers and partners. The culture is the most powerful resource a company has in order to attract and retain the highest level of talent. To keep the best people and expect from them precision and perfection in their work, a company needs to be the best employer the employees could possibly find. When a culture is strong, the employees are also at the peak of their productivity. So, to be the best in the industry, a company needs to create a culture where individuals can thrive.
‘Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company.’
