by Rajesh Bihani

Regardless of how smart you are, it’s your employees that make your business successful. Therefore, building a healthy company culture should be one of your top priorities. A healthy culture acknowledges the shared beliefs, values, standards, and attitudes that characterize your company’s goals. Most importantly, a healthy culture breeds well-being, happiness, productivity, and thus the results.

When you create a work environment that employees want to spend time in, you help to boost their performance and your business success. The main question is, “How can you do it?” Although it takes some time, effort, and discipline to build a positivity company culture, it’s well worth it in the end

Healthy Company Culture tip #1: Embrace transparency

Regardless of your company size, transparency is critical. Employees who have no idea about their organization’s values, vision, mission, and earning are less likely to work productively. When you encourage transparency, your employees will become more aware of what’s going on in their organization. This will help them understand how they can improve or solve the problem.

Communicate with your team on a daily basis and make sure you share only true facts and information. As soon as you set this open line of communication, you’ll see a significant difference in the mood and productivity of your team.

If you’re serious about building a strong culture though, let your team see the company’s financial information. Whether the company’s profit is declining or thriving and cash is tight or abundant, sharing financial data makes employees feel a part of the corporation. They start feeling they’re fairly paid and thus turnover declines and commitment grows. This is a bold step and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to be honest and successful or secret and broke.

Healthy Company Culture tip #2: Consider your office space

According to Susan Cain’s TED Talk “The Power of Introverts,” the majority of workplaces are created for extroverts, leaving no choice for introverts.

The open office spaces help employers save space and cash, but they don’t help maintain a healthy company culture. Talk to your team to find out what they think about your office space. If you think your employees aren’t ready to speak with you honestly, consider holding a meeting like, “Introverts and extroverts in the workplace.”

Sure, you can provide each employee with a private room. However, if there are only two introverts in your team, try to give them more privacy. Introverts tend to perform better when they’re happy about the workplace they work in.

Healthy Company Culture tip #3: Care about your team

Okay, you’ve got a lot on your plate and your busy schedule drains you day by day. If you want a healthy culture for your company though, you should sincerely care about the people who are contributing to your success. Once in a while, ask your team members what’s both great and bad happening in their life. Make sure you don’t miss important events such as birthdays, childbirth, funerals, etc.

When you don’t care about your employees, it’s hard to build a healthy culture. Your selfishness is more likely to build a selfish culture where everyone cares about themselves only. Selfish culture lacks respect, empathy, productivity, and team spirit, so it can eventually lead to a total failure.

Learn more about how to improve company culture during a Management 3.0 Foundation Workshop:

Healthy Company Culture tip #4: Appreciate your team’s contributions

Many leaders fall into a thinking trap of believing they don’t have to reward their employees – after all, they pay money for their work. If you’re one of them, take a minute and put yourself in your employee’s place. Would you be happy to do your best if your efforts were underrated and not appreciated? Would you love your job and respect your boss? Of course, you wouldn’t.

Your recognition and appreciation of efforts are crucial to your team. As a leader, your task is to encourage them to use their full potential and talents. When people feel appreciated and they get a little reward for their hard work, they’re more positive about their abilities to contribute to the company’s growth. That reward shouldn’t be related to money only; a day off or simply say “thank you” during the next meeting will be enough to boost their spirit.

Healthy Company Culture tip #5: Promote teamwork

Speaking of a team spirit, a healthy company culture has a strong one and that’s a secret of a fast growth. Every time you delegate your responsibilities or give new projects to your employees, remind them that working in a team is the easiest way to tackle any task. Even if everyone has their own task, there’s nothing wrong with helping each other.

Also, let your employees know that you’re a part of their team, so they can ask for help anytime, without a fear of being judged or criticized. Remember about your major goal – which is to make your company thrive – and eliminate a knowledge competition. Instead, instill knowledge sharing. If you’re not ready to share your knowledge with the team, then why do you expect them to foster your company’s growth.

Healthy Company Culture tip #6: Establish healthy habits

Any extended sitting can negatively affect the overall well-being. If your office is big enough to attach a tiny gym, encourage your employees to take short breaks to do some exercise. Not only does it help to improve the well-being, but also helps to increase the energy levels and prevent mood swings. If your office is compact and there’s no space for a workout, then consider holding walking meetings. While walking meetings aren’t perfect for a big team, a small team of 2 to 5 people will enjoy them.

It can be short daily meetings or long weekly ones, head to the nearest park and enjoy some team bonding time together while discussing your new projects. Isn’t it the best way to build a healthy culture?

Pay attention to what your employees put in their bodies. If your company can afford, supply your office with fresh fruit and veggies or snacks. It’ll pay off in the end. Not to mention that your employees will love their work more and thus perform it much better.

Healthy Company Culture tip #7: Stay a role model

That means to be productive, inspiring, and stay in tune with what’s going on in your company culture. If you live a luxury life and appear in the office to give tasks and criticize your team’s work, your employees will quickly start losing their interest in making your company grow and thrive. Optimal success is booming when a role model always leads by example in a smart manner. A great role model motivates a team instead of criticizing them and strives to encourage them to achieve their full potential. Being a role model is an amazing management tool that can open many doors for your startup.

Healthy culture defines a company and makes a huge difference when it comes to keeping employees happy and productive. Don’t get frustrated if you fail to build a good culture at first, the best result doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t give up and keep improving your leadership skills.

What are the ways that you try and promote a healthy company culture? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo: Pexels

For more on company culture:

• Podcast: Being intentional about culture
• Portraying your positive company culture on social media
• Podcast: Zappos lives its culture
• How to create a company culture that motivates employees
• Podcast: Transforming company culture