8 ways to communicate your company culture

Culture is the single most important factor in organizational success or failure. It tells employees how to behave, how to do their jobs and how “things are done around here.” But would your employees, middle-management and executives all describe your culture the same way?

Articulate your culture

Being intentional about culture means you approach it from an architectural model. You shape your company’s norms, values and beliefs deliberately rather than letting them evolve organically. And the most important piece of this puzzle is how you articulate your culture to the people who live it every day. Your policies, procedures, communications, systems, org chart, benefits and so much more need to consistently (and accurately) reflect your culture.

It might sound complicated, but these eight steps will help you manage and communicate your culture to employees:

1. Explain what your culture is and why it matters. Clearly outline your corporate culture for employees. How do you define it? How can they live it? Then explain how it enables your unique business strategy. For example, if your company builds remote working solutions, a “butts in seats” culture flies in the face of your strategy. Instead, you need to offer flexible work arrangements where people can work from home, allowing them to both live the culture and effectively test your product.

continue reading »