Why does culture matter?
Simon Sinek once said, “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.”
Most leaders will agree that employee attitudes are just as critical as employee skills. A company’s long-term success hinges on the passion, behaviour and loyalty of its people.
Building an effective company culture involves creating an environment where employees can thrive and grow. It also calls for business strategies and activities that are centred around shared values – or a purpose that everyone in the organisation believes in. This keeps all staff members connected and engaged, which translates into a positive customer experience and an exceptional company reputation.
Does your approach still make sense?
Company cultures that were steadfast and strong before the pandemic may be splitting at the seams now. It’s incredibly challenging to keep everyone motivated and positive about the business when teams are physically separated, processes are changing, and the future is so uncertain.
Even for companies that are no longer working remotely, second or third waves of infection are a possibility that all businesses need to plan for. As we make the shift to the new Covid era, you may need to rethink your workplace ethos and make sure that it translates well into a more contactless, volatile world.
Here are some ideas:
- Give your employees a voice:
Listening to your employees has always been essential. Now, it’s more important than ever. Ask your employees to share their daily experiences, challenges and concerns, so you can find out how to support them better and build a stronger business together. - Be kind:
A company that supports the health and well-being of its employees and customers is a company that engenders trust and loyalty. The pandemic is a health and humanitarian crisis – and a wake-up call that we all need to look after each other better. A great place to start is in your own organisation. - Stand for something:
People are much more focused on the way that businesses and brands behave and how they are giving back to society, each other and the environment. Now is the time to dig deep and ask what your business really stands for. Clarify and communicate your values and/or purpose and use this as a foundation for building a stronger company culture. - Be flexible:
Try to understand the unique pressures your staff members are under. Some may be impacted directly by the virus, others may be juggling home schooling and childcare duties with work, and some may be battling with unreliable internet connectivity and loadshedding. In this environment, you need to create more flexible working schedules which focus less on micro-managing and more on making employees more accountable for managing their own time. Give your people your trust and they are likely to reward you with diligence and loyalty. - Maintain connections:
If your teams used to socialise and relax together before the pandemic and this was an integral part of your organisational culture, make a plan to shift these gatherings online. Some of your staff members may be missing out on these social connections. However, be careful not to make these get-togethers mandatory as it’s likely that some of your people have greater family responsibilities right now.
How we are adapting our culture?
At Kri8it, we have always viewed our employees and customers as a family – treating each individual with respect and care. To ensure everyone in our studio stays safe and healthy, we have adapted to become a fully remote company. We have long laid the foundations for this approach, being an organisation with studios in different locations, so we already had the digital tools in place to stay connected, support each other and collaborate remotely.
If you’d like to find out more about the way we work, get in touch.