Culture consumes a big part of any company’s short and long term strategy. It does not matter how well crafted your plans are, without paying attention to culture the execution will be weak. If the working culture is conducive around a company, things will get done. Top leaders invest in conducive company culture as this is what steers the business strategy. Here are mistakes when building your company’s culture.
Punishing the Resistors
It is misguided for any leader to focus solely on those who are resisting their strategy. The mistaken notion that pacifying the resistors will get everyone back into line is pointless. This assumption only alienates those who are investing in building a high-performing culture.
Undervalued Purpose
Human nature requires us to be part of society – given we are social beings. The purpose in life helps us aspire and motivate ourselves to be the best we can be. Any culture that undervalues purpose dismisses human nature and contributes to a weaker culture.
Too Much Time Spent in Meetings
Your presence as an owner influences how people enjoy the work environment. If you are ever absent due to conferences and other important engagements, you are missing an opportunity to shape the company culture and climate. Company culture evolves regardless of what you work on.
Under-Communicating
You will hear a message several times before understanding its meaning. When communicating a one and done communication does not cut it. Ensure your team gets what is expected of them as clarity is critical in maintaining a positive culture.
Siloed Reasoning
Changes made on one area of the business impact other areas. That way it is important to share ideas to avoid siloed thinking that affect the effectiveness of the task, weaken reasoning and organizational performance. Your company is a complex system with a rich culture that impacts throughout the company.
Spreading Negativity
You will not like all decisions or approaches the company takes, however, you must exhibit leadership by being mindful of the tone you set. Be aware of your mood when sharing such information. Spreading negativity and falsehoods even when done unintentionally can create an unhealthy opposition culture which hampers achieving real results.
Short-Term Thinking
Also described as a business strap, this part focuses solely on profit. While it is gauged as a business metric in various quarters, it remains short-term in nature. Short-term thinking is not healthy for a business given a long term strategy will focus on the underlying trappings of adopted strategies.
Promotes Individualism
No person is more significant than their teammates. Everyone plays a key role, from the director to the cleaner. When you decide on favorites and let them act independently, you are weakening your chances of benefiting from wisdom from other quarters. You must consider that no one is an island of wisdom.
Downplaying Relationships
Our brains are hard-wired to prioritize relationships. That means it will be erroneous not to develop relationships with other team members. Great leaders avoid going with the rugged boss approach as it stifles any chances of heartily connecting with your teammates.