How can you set up a good working culture in your company?
My father always had a very conservative vision of work. He used to say that in our work environment, we needed to hide our emotions, we couldn't challenge our superiors, and sometimes we even needed to do things we disagree with without complaining. Otherwise, we would get fired.
This was how a job looked around 1990, and I grew up with the idea that work sucks.
Only in 2009, a Ted Talk arrived to bring hope to everyone (me included). It seemed, after all, it was possible to be ourselves, feel fulfilled and inspired by our work and wake up every day happy and motivated because of it.
In 2009, Simon Sinek presented the "Golden Circle" and showed that our professional life is not separate from our personal life. It is, therefore, all in one. On a larger scale, this also meant that companies to be successful should have a cause to fight for, some kind of utopia, where they aim to make the world a bit better. This purpose will inevitably attract new talents and clients, who, as typical humans, always need to feel part of a group or a cause.
Shortly after, in 2012, with Google leading the market for over a decade, a group of professionals decided to get together to study the company's culture and understand why some teams stumbled while others didn't. What Project Aristotle discovered was that one of the most critical factors for a team's success is Psychological Safety - it means that you can speak your mind, fail and take risks while still having the support of your team. Exactly the opposite of my father's experience.
Over time, what seemed a utopia in the 90s has started to become a reality. A recent Harvard study, based on an analysis of different studies, showed that when employees are happy, their companies are 31% more productive and make 37% more sales. Research has begun to show that human and motivational factors are more important than what one had previously thought.
“People who feel good about themselves produce good results” New One Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Then how can I know if my teams/people are happily contributing to the company?
IMPORTANCE OF CONSTANT FEEDBACK
In 2020, Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, co-wrote a book with Erin Meyer about Netflix's culture. In his book "No Rules Rules", Hastings explains one of the fundamental pillars of the culture and development of his company and employees - Constant Feedback.
According to himself, Netflix is ruled by the premise of constant innovation. And where there is innovation, there has to be experiences, failures, and successes behind it. At Netflix, there is permission to make mistakes and try again, but always with open communication so that everyone can improve the product, but also themselves (Psychological Safety). The only rule is "do what you think is in the best interest of the company" and if you think something is not right, speak up! If you have doubts about something, ask for help! Arrogance and egos are both enemies of a good culture and innovation.
But when we talk about communication, we must pay attention to the subtlety of it. Communication goes from A to B, but what A transmits may not be the same as what B understands. Communication can also vary depending on culture and education, so it is important to clarify with the concerned person in case of doubt or misunderstanding.
Again, we see the importance of constant feedback.
TIPS FOR GOOD COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Digital Body Language – Now that remote working is on the increase, a good understanding of digital communication is key to decrease stress and anxiety levels within the companies:
Be careful with the punctuation. When writing emails or messages, remember that in the digital world, "dots" for example, can bring up the feeling that you're angry and you're not so friendly.
Smart choice of words. Re-read your messages several times and take some time to write an email. Don’t rush it. “Reading emails with care is the new art of listening” - Erica Dhawan
React to your colleague’s messages with emojis, give preference to the ones with faces. During videocalls too.
Respect the silence. In “offline” conversations answers are immediate, but not in the digital world. So be patient!
Define clear rules – Make sure that everyone knows and acts by the values of your company and don’t accept exceptions. Coach your teams to care about one another and let go of those who are not willing to contribute for a good culture.
Define clear goals/mission/vision – A worker/company without a clear goal is like a sprinter without a finish line. With time he will gradually decrease his performance because he doesn't know where the endpoint is and which direction he should choose.
Truly care for people - Being a giver is the highest predictor of success in a company/life according to Adam Grant. People and teams achieve much more when they respect and help others to grow. Honesty, transparency, and constant feedback are essential. Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable, it’s ok to be human.
Train your managers frequently – Behaviors are usually influenced from top to bottom. So, make sure that your company has good leaders in management positions. They don’t need to be the ones with more experience, but they must be the ones that coach people the best.
More focus on successes and less on mistakes. Mistakes must be corrected, but positive feedback is fundamental to promote confidence and autonomy.
Stop micromanaging. Help people reach the best solution without telling them what to do. Save your time for your own tasks.
As Jay Shetty stats several times: “the highest purpose of a human being is to serve other people”, and your company is a channel to serve other people. But before we aim to change the world, let’s first grow from inside with strong foundations and principles. Let’s first take care of ourselves and the people around us.
Happiness is contagious, and I’m a true believer that in work and general life, we all perform better with clear purposes and a genuine smile on our faces.
