Communication is Key in Fostering a Positive Company Culture

A corporate culture is defined as the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape how employees interact, make decisions, and work together. It defines company behaviors and norms — how decisions are made when no one’s watching — and the expected ways employees interact with each other, clients, customers, and other stakeholders. In short, it’s the foundation that everything is built upon.

It’s impact is so significant that companies with strong cultures experience 4x the revenue growth of those with a ‘weak culture’.

While executives focus on product-market fit, funding rounds, and growth metrics, the truth is, there’s an intangible force that determines all of it: company culture. 

Creating a strong company culture sounds simple, but as growth or priorities shift, it can actually be quite challenging. Poor leadership, high turnover, market shifts, and strategy changes can all affect the team.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford

In my LinkedIn post last week, I cited the benefits of a happy workplace:

• Boosts morale & engagement – Happy employees are productive employees – by nearly 20%. Translation? They’re also more profitable.
• Encourages collaboration and conversation – When employees feel safe in their environment, they feel empowered to take bigger risks and generate new ideas.
• Reduces stress – Say less.
• Strengthens relationships – A fun atmosphere encourages collaboration and strengthens bonds between colleagues.
• Aids in employee retention – No surprise here. Happy employees tend not to leave, which translates into stronger client and customer experience, as well as lower overhead (reduced training costs, etc.)

But there’s more. A strong company culture helps improve the customer experience and creates a competitive advantage. 

So how can companies create or reestablish a winning culture if morale is low? 

1. Listen. And gather feedback. Before implementing an employee communications program, companies and executives ought to listen and learn where things went wrong or what could be improved. Employee focus groups (typically led by an outside agency to ensure anonymity) can reveal challenges within the organization, struggles with leaders, issues with sales, etc. Having outside counsel lead these discussions and present collective feedback can show employees that executives are listening and trying to address low morale. But executives can’t stop there.
2. Actually listen. And make changes. Oftentimes, Paige PR is hired to conduct focus groups. When we present findings to decision-makers, it’s not uncommon for executives to push back on recommendations. It’s shocking. If you’re trying to change a company culture, not only is listening critical, but so is taking and implementing some of the changes you learn about. The quickest way to lose credibility is to ignore direct feedback from stakeholders.
3. Create a clear company mission and set of values. If everyone knows which direction they’re marching, it’s easier to understand what you’re doing and where you’re going. Companies shift and evolve with different market forces, so it’s imperative that employees (new and old) understand values, metrics, and where you’re headed. Whether it’s monthly emails from the CEO, quarterly townhall meetings, or coffee shop talk, being transparent and staying connected is essential.  
4. It starts at the top. Credibility and integrity matter. And if executives aren’t leading by example, people notice. To build a company culture employees are proud of, leadership must mirror what they expect from all team members.
5. Recognize wins. And talent. Honoring a team member for their hard work, achievements, milestones, or other contributions is essential. People want to feel seen and valued within their workplace. Similarly, promoting top talent or creating upward mobility for employees will foster a culture of commitment and hard work.

Creating a strong company culture sounds easy enough, but it’s challenging. Poor leadership, turnover, market shifts, and strategy changes can all affect the team.

Ready to strengthen your company culture?

Paige PR partners with executives and organizations to create communication strategies that inspire teams, enhance morale, and drive results. 👉 Connect with us to start building a culture that fuels success.