Great business culture has a positive impact, not just on your team, but your productivity and profitability. Businesses with a great culture have more highly motivated and engaged staff, meaning they stay loyal and are invested in the success of the business.

Business culture can often be hard to define as it includes both tangible and non-tangible factors. It is creating shared beliefs, values and ideas.  It includes things like the business vision, mission, values and goals as well as structure, job description and even the environment itself. It is about the ‘vibe’ of your workplace and its people.

But creating a culture is not about developing a policy and then telling everyone to live by it. It is created by the people themselves. It is a complex process that requires more than just words. It is about communicating your vision to everyone involved, getting them to invest in your ‘why’. It is communication and being able to have healthy, trusting conversations within your team.

One of the key components to having a great business culture is celebrating that culture. Once you have created a culture of trust, respect and shared vision, celebrate that with your team. Creating a culture of celebration or recognition, keeps your team invested and engaged. Bringing enjoyment and fun into the everyday working experience means your team will genuinely want to come to work.

How do you celebrate your business culture?

Know your Why

It is so often said in business that everything is tied to your ‘why’. Your purpose and vision. And it is so often said, because it is true.

Everything is tied to why you are in business in the first place. To get your team invested in your vision, they need to know why it is your vision.

You also need to know why you want to have a great business culture. Creating this culture is about being able to step back and let your team do what needs to be done. Trusting them to get on with it so you can work more strategically ON the business.

Weave the concepts of your vision and the culture you want to create into every level, function and policy in the business.

Start at the top

Business Culture starts with management. Leaders need to recognise the efforts of their staff, communicate well and promote the culture you want for your business. Your team will follow your lead and may come up with some great ideas to help you create a great business culture, but they have to trust that you will be open to those ideas. Show your team, and future employees, that creating and keeping your business culture are a high priority.

Recognize and Reward

Celebrate and recognize your team for their efforts in supporting your vision. You could create ‘culture’ awards where staff are recognized for promoting your company culture. These are a great idea for a regular, but infrequent way of celebrating culture.

For a more constant approach, think about the things you can do in your everyday work. Send an email to your team recognizing the efforts of someone in particular, put on a morning tea or lunch to celebrate a big win in the business, even a simple thank you gesture goes a long way in promoting a healthy business culture.

Celebration makes for a happier, more cohesive team. It helps meet the need for inclusion, appreciation and collaboration.

Surprise and Delight

Just like going the extra mile in your customer service, do the same for your employees. Don’t leave the celebrations for the ‘work’ wins, celebrate your employees lives as well. If it’s someone’s birthday, acknowledge it. Congratulate your team on their personal accomplishments and achievements.

Let your Team do the talking

Business Culture is all about the employees. You can not dictate what your business culture will be and then sit back and expect your employees to follow. You need to lead by example, but you also need to get your employees on board and invested in building the culture with you. Before you start planning a fantastic culture, ask your team what they like about working in the business. Ask them what they would like to see changed. The key here is to actually implement their suggestions. Asking your team what they want and then ignoring what they say is the quickest way to ruin any healthy business culture you already had.

Be Social

And I don’t mean friend them on Facebook. Host get togethers – lunches, drinks after work, Christmas events. These kinds of social engagements build interactions and strengthen your business culture. Boost employee morale by allowing them to get to know each other better and relax for a bit.

Don’t forget your WFH team members

With the rise of the hybrid or remote team, it can provide some challenges when celebrating your business culture. It is easy to stop someone in the hallway and say congratulations on landing that client, but if that team member works remotely, then you will need to make an effort. Don’t forget to include them, not just in the big celebrations and events, but also the everyday interactions that build your business culture.

Business culture can take years to build, but do not under-estimate it’s value. People want to genuinely enjoy coming to work and creating an atmosphere of celebration and fun is actively encouraged to foster that. Celebrate your wins together and acknowledge each other’s achievements to create an environment of pride and contribution to the business.