4 things I learnt about shaping a company’s culture
I am writing this article from personal experience of managing teams and contributing to organizational culture for over a decade. I am sure that what I am sharing can probably be found in books. However, I think it’s important to note that the below is shared solely based on lived experience and my general knowledge.
The truth is that there is no easy way to shape culture in a team or company, especially when it’s not in line with the larger cultural context. Personally, I wanted to foster a collaborative environment of respect and empathy, open-mindedness, humbleness and open feedback. In an Eastern European, post-soviet country, the above are not something most of us have grown up with.
Additionally, there is certainly no quick/fast way to shape culture. It takes time and repetition. Culture is a manifesto and a declaration, but most importantly it is daily actions that embody values that support it.
Here are some things I learned throughout my experience:
Ensure your leadership team is on the same page with you. A strong leadership team is the first prerequisite to shaping your culture. They are the people in the room who can continue consolidating company’s values, when you’re not around. Make sure your whole leadership team shares the same values with you. Talk about your culture all the time, make it a discussion, at every possible circumstance.
Include culture into your recruitment process. While skills are important when hiring, list out what personal qualities are important in a candidate. Hard skills are easier to learn than fundamental values a person carries through their life. An addition of a new person will influence the rest of the team: they can lift people up or bring them down. Even if a candidate matches the hard skills and other professional requirements, their culture, if not a good fit, will have a lasting effect on your current team. The negative effect of a culture misfit is much more damaging than lack of resources inside the team.
Address conflicting behavior right away. Even if you talk all the time about culture and company values, it may happen that someone in the team will misstep and behave in contradiction to these values. This has to be addressed right away. Preferably, first privately with the person. If they do not implement feedback and do not change their behavior, consider a more drastic decision (see next point). Secondly address what happened with the whole team. Being empathetic, speaking confidently and openly is key. Discussing a complicated situation and using it as an opportunity to reinforce your values, helps everybody else to witness a model of behavior that is in line with company’s culture.
It’s not people first, it’s culture first. I am sure you read statements from companies state that they are people first. While I understand what they mean, I do not agree with the statement. When a company is people first, it doesn’t fully take in consideration that not all people are a good fit for the company. Leading with ‘people first’ mentality when it comes to a toxic person — creates damage to the whole team. At times, the solution is to remove a person, whose behavior does not align with company’s values. Regardless how talented and skilled the person is. Removing a toxic person will allow everybody else in the team to continue growing and working more efficiently. That’s why I think culture first is more accurate when we consider a team as a cross-influential set of individuals.
Working with teams is one of the most challenging, and most rewarding experiences. Creating authentic connections, fostering trust and respect, directly impacts how team members feel at work, and ultimately how productive they are. I truly believe that culture should be one of the many aspects one considers, regardless what side of the recruitment/hiring process they are. Last but not least, building happier teams simply makes the whole society better. It should be a mission for any company.
PS: this text has been written and edited without the assistance of AI.