How leaders can prevent and overcome culture issues

Communicate even more

When your culture is on the line it is important that you stay highly communicative. Be direct with what you are looking for your team to do and how their efforts will make a difference. Give your team time to respond and provide feedback right away. Communication that is frequent, consistent, and clear can help fight any cultural issues.

Listen to your employees

I shouldn’t have to tell you how important listening is, but it is still greatly undervalued for all that it does for your team. You don’t listen to your teams concerns to make them feel better by sharing, you do it to learn the things that need to change. That being said, if your team has come to you in the past with concerns and you did nothing to make things right, you are hurting your own culture.

Address issues in the open

You hired smart people. When there is a problem, chances are pretty good they already know about it. It’s very rare that employees are in the dark, even on issues that don’t directly affect them. Rather than making a choice to not inform them, be transparent and openly discuss company issues. Invite them to come together and brainstorm solutions.

Stay focused on your goals

When culture is waning due to uncontrollable factors, focus on what you can control. When you and your team reach your goals and see the results, the momentum can carry you forward. Your culture can improve by pushing through as a team in the face of adversity.

Consider adapting existing values

Sometimes cultural issues can arise from people not following your company’s values. When were those values set, how old are they, do they still hold true today? Maybe it is time to revisit those values as a team and reinforce what still fits to the culture and omit what doesn’t.