Cultivating a Positive Culture?

Business Survival Tip
Episode 33
By Carl Kleimann
March 10, 2010

Full Interview transcript

Carl: Hello business owners this is Carl Kleimann from Odyssey OneSource with another Business Survival Tip. If someone asked you to describe your company’s culture, what would you say? By definition, a company’s culture is the shared values and practices of its employees. It defines the way that organizations act and react and can be particularly important in the face of adversity or challenge. Some of today’s most successful organizations go to great lengths to foster and maintain a culture that supports their mission, vision and values.

So, how do you create your culture? First, understand that every business has one so step one is identifying your current culture. You can either hire a consultant or simply look around. How do your employees act? What are their common behaviors? How do they react in challenging situations? Step two is determining what you want your culture to be. How do you want them to act? You should design a culture that is aligned with your business goals. For example, a technology firm may choose to foster a culture that thrives on innovation. A service organization may choose to foster a culture that supports a strong customer focus. Whatever you choose, you will have established the expectations by which everyone on your team will be judged.

A company’s culture will evolve and change over time. As employees leave and new employees are hired, culture will shift. The same is true as a firm grows from startup to maturity. As the business owner, your goal is to never stop moving culture toward your intended goal. And that job should get easier over time as you get better and better at hiring people that fit your culture.

I am Carl Kleimann and this has been another Business Survival Tip by Odyssey OneSource, ranked as the number one Professional Employer Organization three years running by the Black Book of Outsourcing.
For more information on this and other issues affecting employers, please visit www.odysseyonesource.com