Wrapping your head around company culture can be tricky. Many refer to it as ‘organisational culture’. Simply put, company culture is the heart and soul of the company. It’s the “The way we do things around here”.
At first, it seems pretty easy to define… but the more you try to explain it, the more indefinite it becomes.
When defining company culture you should think of your company as a person, an individual that has his/her own personality, culture and way of doing things. A strong culture is a common denominator among the most successful companies.
It affects nearly every aspect of a company from recruiting top talent to improving employee satisfaction, it’s the backbone of a happy workforce. Without a positive corporate culture, many employees will struggle to find the real value in their work, and this leads to a variety of negative consequences for your bottom line. There’s a reason why companies who are named as ‘The Best Place to Work’ see so much success. These organisations tend to have strong, positive corporate cultures that help employees feel and perform their best at work.
Because let’s face it, no one likes working under unnecessary scrutiny. Your boss should give you enough space to put your talent and skills to work. Micromanagement and constant scrutiny can create a very tense working environment, this is not healthy and will affect the team’s productivity. It also shows a lack of trust in the employees to do what they were hired for and what is expected of them. Without a sense of purpose, the motivation to complete responsibilities with pride and enthusiasm is hard to come by.
There has been a shift in what people expect from business and it is driving a huge cultural change in how businesses operate. The recent interest in company culture has focused largely on the empowerment to employees and ultimately the success of the business.
With a strong company culture placed in companies, it becomes easy for employees to develop unbreakable chemistry which strengthens the company’s profile and image as it is unlikely for them to leave. I try to instil better working relationships in my team as I don’t hold anyone back. I care about my team’s feelings, support and understanding during hardships and happiness.
Unfortunately, it sometimes takes us working in a certain environment or culture to realise it’s not for us. What to do? Nothing is permanent, so if you end up with a company that you don’t love from a cultural perspective, do your best with your job, and with time, look for a company that might be a better fit for you. We emphasise the culture of the company, stressing its unique aspects such as mainly focusing on growth and empowering young individuals to reach their full potential with less management oversight.
Nkhensani Moyane is the marketing director and an experienced hands-on operative for Acecube PR, which provides a hub for mentorship within the PR industry.
