Your company has a culture, whether you’re cognizant of it or not. The only question is, are you actively building that culture—or allowing it to happen by accident?
There are, of course, some definite downsides to letting organizational culture happen without a strategy in place. One risk is that, as your company grows and evolves, the culture that once offered strength and stability will flounder and fail.
There are ways you can ensure that your organizational culture grows with you, though. Here are some recommendations.
It All Starts with Hiring
A single employee, recruited carelessly, can throw a wrench in your company culture. Just imagine the impact of dozens of new employees all recruited at once, without any regard for culture!
My recommendation? As the leader of your company, be involved with the hiring process for every single new employee—not only establishing a personal connection, but articulating the organizational culture and its values in your own words. The more you’re hiring, the more active your involvement should be!
Open Your Door (At Least Sometimes)
Your approachability can go a long way toward preserving culture; make it clear that anyone who needs to swing by for some one-on-one mentoring with the boss is welcome to do so.
I know that sounds like it may overburden you, or take too much time—so one suggestion is to just have a few regular, posted office hours throughout the week. You don’t have to be on call 24/7; just make sure you’re visible and available regularly, for any employee who needs face time.
Think Big Picture
A final recommendation: No matter how much your company grows, it’s important to keep your primary mission in mind. Know what you are trying to accomplish. Know how each team member contributes to that goal. And if you don’t know how a new position furthers your sense of mission, then you don’t need that position.
These are just some of the ways in which you can scale your organizational culture—and you’ll note that they all come down to some basics: Be a clear, accessible leader. Communicate. And think in terms of purpose at all times.
I’d love to talk with you more about any of this, or to coach you through scaling your own culture. Contact me today to set up a meeting. Contact Dr. Rick Goodman at www.rickgoodman.com or 888-267-6098.