Harnessing Organizational Culture through Communication

Organizational culture is the personality of your organization. Culture is made up of the attitudes and core values that the organization holds dear and stands firm to. It trickles from the top down and is often reinforced through company policies and ethos. Organizational culture plays a large part in establishing the working environment your people operate within, so it has a direct impact on the well-being and productivity of employees.

Communication is key, especially if you’re trying to encourage the adoption of culture in your business. As the leader/manager, YOU are obligated to open the lines of communication both vertically and horizontally. Over time this leads to the creation of a more open workspace where employees are comfortable sharing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. 

Communication is like the tango. It takes two. So, perk up your ears and listen to people! Listen with empathy to really understand what your people are saying. Be honest with them to build trust. To truly solidify this kind of culture in your organization, you must ensure that the feedback you receive from employees is taken in and implemented, with some discretion of course.

Conduct regular culture audits to make sure that your shop is in order. Start doing more brainstorming, team building activities, and anything else that can encourage better team cohesion. Organizational strategy that’s pro-risk favors innovation and healthy competition. If you aren’t already doing it, consider including more recognition-based rewarding in your organization. Food for thought: 63% of employees believe that they do not receive enough praise. That means nearly 2 out of every 3 employees feels like they don’t get the recognition they earned. 

All strong relationships are built on the foundation of transparency and honesty, coupled with good communication. The relationship between leaders and their subordinates is no different. Leaders don’t need to act like spies operating on foreign soil. Basic things about an organization, like budget information, don’t need to be kept secret. In fact, secrecy sows the seeds of paranoia. In the absence of information, many people just make things up in an attempt to connect the dots. 

The lines of communication from leaders to employees should be open and honest. Employees are entitled to know what’s going on in their organization, good or bad. Being open and forthright with employees humanizes the leaders. They become more relatable, making it easier for them to offer constructive criticism and speak openly with employees about ongoing situations.