Culture is the environment that we choose to foster and surround ourselves with; company culture is the foundation of any business.
A workplace culture is the shared values, belief systems, attitudes and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share. Typically your culture is determined by your upbringing, social, and cultural surroundings. However, within the workplace the culture is determined by leadership and the organizational directions that your management influences your company to go in. Promoting a positive culture in your workplace helps keep morale high, increases productivity, enhances employee retention, and boosts employee engagement overall. Research by Deloitte has shown that 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to a business’ success. Deloitte’s survey also found that 76% of these employees believed that a "clearly defined business strategy" helped create a positive culture.
Encouraging an open door policy with your employees gives them the opportunity to talk freely, come to you with questions, and offer feedback without the fear of being shut down. Allowing your employees this opportunity will not only help you to have a better understanding of what your employees believe will work best for your current office work culture. According to a recent Gallup research report, managers who are open and approachable have more engaged employees. Being approachable means that you will have an information advantage when it comes to your employees. The more comfortable your employees are with communication within the office, the more informed you will be with what is going on within your office.
Having a leadership and management style that encourages teamwork is one of the most important aspects to include when trying to foster an engaged work environment. Open and honest communication is key when trying to get your employees to collaborate effectively. The best way to do this is to establish team outings, this way your employees can get to know each other outside of the work environment and nurture and foster their relationships and communication skills within the workplace. Giving your employees opportunities to assess their inherent unconscious and implicit biases that can impact their interactions with other employees is crucial to fostering effective collaboration and communication in the workplace.
A positive work environment is one where employees are appreciated and valued no matter gender, sexual orientation, or race. All of your employees should have the opportunity to grow and thrive within your company and have equal access to resources and any perks available. An inclusive workplace is one that values and welcomes differences within the workplace. By making sure that all of your employees voices and ideas are heard, you are making sure that you are fostering an inclusive work culture. The more inclusive your work culture is the more apt your employees will be to be engaged with their work and more open to communication within the workplace.
A positive work culture is essential if you want your employees to arrive excited and inspired to do great work, and not only perform well but take pride in their work. The more pride that your employees have in their work, the more positive and engaged your work culture will be. A positive work culture is only fostered through effective management. By implementing the above factors into your workplace, you are ensuring that you are fostering a positive work culture that boosts employee engagement.
