In the early days of companies, there is often a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose that employees might attribute to company culture. Establishing and growing intentional company culture is critical at this stage because it sets a precedent for how your company will operate moving forward.
When your team is on the smaller side, it seems much easier to establish company culture. But as the organization grows, how can you ensure your culture grows with you?
Defining Company Culture
First, we should think about what "company culture" is. I define culture as a collection of values, behaviors and expectations that show what your company stands for. In my previous article, I referenced the book The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle, where he distinguishes culture as something you do -- not just your identity. Culture isn’t a status you should aspire to; it should be something that you are already working on.
One example of company culture in action is at Boston University. According to Elizabeth McLeod, who reported on her observations of the university's culture in a 2012 Fast Company article, their employees hold campus citizenship to a high standard. Any employee walking across campus is encouraged to help anyone who looks like they might need help getting around.
This is a great example of bar-setting behavior that sets expectations which clearly shows what the company stands for and guides their employees’ actions. It is very important to lead by example, but for culture to be successfully embedded in a company, policies need to be created and implemented to ensure that it continues to grow.
Building Policies Around Culture
I have found that there are cultural shifts when companies hit certain employee number milestones because leaders show resistance to add processes and policies related to company culture over time. They often feel that policies might lead to diminishing culture. I’ve seen this resistance occur at the 40-60 employee mark, then again at the 100-120 employee mark and so on. The resistance might come from hanging on to how good it was at the beginning, and a fear that putting policies in writing would risk losing that magic.
But as an organization grows, it can be difficult for team members to understand who does what. You don’t know everyone as deeply as you do with a small team of 10 compared to growing to 100 and then 500 employees. And yet, the concept of “fit” becomes more important than ever for the company culture. Consistent behaviors that embody the company's values need to be continued.
Loss of consensus leads to confusions and assumptions, which could lead to conflict. Rather than assuming that everyone will be on the same page by just following other’s leads, provide documentation and guidance around what is expected and how things are done.
For executives, it is critical to speak with your internal leaders and department heads about your company culture so they can implement it throughout the organization. Help them understand specific behaviors, actions and decisions that occur in their areas, and show them how to use values to guide how they do their work. Each team within the company might even have their own set of values in relation to the greater company values. As long as there is a shared understanding of the company values and support from executive leadership, policies can help create a shared understanding and, ultimately, company culture.
Naming Your Culture By Naming Your Values
Company values are quite commonplace. Most organizations have them written somewhere in their offices, maybe on walls or onboarding documents. But do you or your employees know what those values are? Conduct a self-audit as well as an audit of your leadership team. Do you know your company values? Can you say them without thinking? What are some of the ways you can be more consistent with your actions, behaviors and decisions to support those values?
Many organizations have values that are simply good, human values, such as honesty, trust and accountability. But shouldn't these already be expected from everyone in your organization? Instead, identify the values that make your organization different, not the ones others expect you to have. Be bold. Be willing to rub people the wrong way who don’t share the organization’s values. Watered down values mean nothing if you are not willing to take a stand.
Survey the organization, hold focus groups, have 1-to-1 conversations with people to understand what they think your company culture is and why, and the culture they believe the company ought to have and why. Great culture starts with an understanding of the company’s purpose. Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why, has a famous TED Talk where he talked about Apple’s culture, starting with their “why.” “Think Different” means challenging the status quo, and this value is shared throughout the company.
For example, one of my company’s values is "challenge." We uphold this value by only taking on clients who challenge us, and we challenge our clients to push beyond the norm and help make meaningful change. We’re not afraid to turn down prospective clients who do not fit this value. At the same time, we only want to work alongside leadership coaches who share this value with us.
Once you have set your values, make sure you are also sharing them with your organization. As Daniel Coyle says in The Culture Code, be 10 times as clear about your priorities as you think you should be. Repeat your values -- not just the essence. Your employees might come up with catchphrases or symbols. Even if you don’t make them official, encourage these activities. Make it safe for your team to use them so they remember them, connect with the values and take it with them to their everyday thinking.
Getting your company culture to mean something to your organization entails defining what is important to you and then creating guidelines to ensure that your values grow with your company.
