Culture gets a lot of attention in the corporate world. But what exactly does it mean? More importantly, why is a good culture critical to your company’s success? Simply put, culture is the emotional environment you create and the behaviors that build it. Your culture could be toxic or supportive, depending on each person’s actions. Every behavior in the workplace matters.
It’s the passive-aggressive email your CEO sends out about refrigerator etiquette.
It’s the way someone speaks to you in a meeting.
It’s the openness and ability of team members to give and receive feedback.
Like the Force in Star Wars, culture is all around us, binding us together. We can’t see it, but we can feel its presence in everything. Culture matters because, when it’s poor, there’s no camaraderie or support. Employees in a bad culture dread going to work and won’t excel beyond a bare-bones level. Meanwhile, in a healthy, thriving culture, people treat each other with respect.
They are empowered to make proactive decisions.
They are included and welcomed to disagree.
In a supportive culture, employees are free to bring their full selves to the job. In turn, they’re able to perform their best work for your company.
