A very interesting aspect noticed in
Indian Joint family system is that each family have defined their way of
functioning in the household. The members of the family look for culture fit of
the prospective bride or groom. The newly inducted member slowly becomes aware
and aligns to the family values and habits. The members of the family also
start blending new flavors into their daily life and a harmony is achieved.
This is something which I have witnessed in Joint families. Similarly, every
business or workplace has its own style of functioning for carrying out the
business operations. A workplace or business culture will encompass organization’s
values, visions, working style, beliefs and habits. Culture has a big influence on our work, our families and
our lives.
The culture of the workplace is the
character and personality of the organization. Culture is what makes a company
a great place to work and scaling depends hugely on the culture. The beginning
of culture building in the organization has to be defined from the day of its
inception. The culture definition and alignment start with the founders. Culture
building and alignment has to focused along with strategy of building the
product or service and go-to market approach. Few tips which aid in strengthening
the culture are
·
Core Values Awareness:
Core values
shape the culture of the business. They are the essence of the organization’s
identity. Core values help in smooth functioning of the organization. Every
successful business has its set of core values which are derived based on the
nature of its business. Adhering to the core values will help the potential
clients and prospective employees to know about the organization and its
uniqueness. Core values do not change with time and help in decision making. An
example of the core value of Starbucks will help in understanding the core
values.
Starbucks core values are
written like a philosophy and they are:
§ Creating a culture of warmth and belonging,
where everyone is welcome.
§ Acting with courage, challenging the status
quo
§ Being present, connecting with transparency,
dignity and respect
§ Delivering our very best in all we do,
holding ourselves accountable for results
§ We are performance driven, through the lens
of humanity
·
Be Open to Openness – When
a culture of openness is adopted, it helps the team to be aligned with the
company goals. In team meetings, when challenges, setbacks are openly
discussed, it helps the team get a clear picture of the prevailing situation
and the steps to be taken to overcome the same. It also helps to understand how
each team member is actually contributing towards reaching the goal. Being
transparent starts with the top management and percolates to each member of the
organization. Many CEO’s sit with the team and not in enclosed office stating
that they are approachable to any member at any point of time.
·
Lead by example
The founders, top management and business leaders must be
the first ones to implement the core values into their daily life. They set the
example of living the values. The extent to which the values are lived will
have a direct impact on the level of implementation by the team. For example, when
health conscious drive is implemented in workplace, leaders taking the stairs,
going for walks and having healthy diet snacks consistently will inspire the
team members to follow suit.
·
Values reflects brand
When values are being implemented in workplace
deliverables, the delighted customers, become a source of marketing the brand.
The recommendations and referrals happen by word of mouth from happy customers.
For example, if on-time delivery is the value, consistency becomes the norm
with implementation of values. Take time to reflect on what value your brand
needs to communicate with the world and work towards it.
·
Learn from mistakes
The best way to learn is to learn from mistakes. It is ok
to make a mistake, however the lessons learnt from the setbacks is actually a
step towards progress. All the learning
documented by the team can serve as training material for new comers.
Every new team member who joins the
company has to be checked for the culture fit as a part of recruiting process.
When there is a match in culture fit the environment becomes conducive to high
performing culture.
Comment below on your thoughts. Watch
this space for more insights. If you would like your workplace culture to be
featured in “joyful-workplaces” blog, do feel free to write to us. Our
editorial team would be happy to get in touch. Write to us joyworkshop@hasovan.com. Catch the work-place philosophy of companies in the book
“Erupt with Joy” by Savitha Hosamane.
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