smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

The culture of your company can make or break a business - the way that your employees and teams work together and interact is directly linked to your productivity and, in turn, your chance of success.

To be as efficient as possible you need an environment where people can be open and honest with each other, take on a role that uses their talent to the best effect and adapt to the changing demands upon your business as it grows.

SmallBusiness.co.uk and performance consultant Chris Howe, director of ChangeMaker, have the following tips to help you improve your company culture:

Decide what kind of culture you want
Do you want a highly competitive culture or a team-focused culture? Do you want a working environment that encourages rapid growth and embraces change or are you looking for more steady progress?

Growth is based on the efforts of those in the business and those who join in the future. Profit share schemes, from which people will benefit through the growth they create, are for motivating your team and instilling a sense of ownership in the company.

Invest in the culture you want
Lots of people talk about culture but forget that unless you actually live and breathe it, then it is a waste of time. For example, a key element is staff development. Regularly investing in training for your team that steers them towards a particular way of working will help to bring about the culture that you are aiming for.

Be open and frank
Giving regular information about company performance helps to avoid misunderstandings among employees. Keeping your staff informed about achievements across the business, in a weekly newsletter for example, develops interest in its development and engenders a sense of shared responsibility between departments.

A quarterly meeting will also give staff the opportunity to air any view that they feel need to be expressed. Often, unhappy employees want to feel that their opinion is being heard and considered in the first instance. By contrast its an opportunity to mention positive developments and provide updates on ongoing projects.

Set targets and review regularly
Setting individual targets is a good way to let people know how they contribute to the business. Conducting annual appraisals to help people see they are valued and where they can develop further is an effective way of doing this.

Following a review, make sure that your employee is given the proper training to help them achieve the goals that you have set out and re-visit the report to check on progress six months down the line.

Don’t be afraid to reshuffle
Ensuring that you have your staff in the right positions is essential for running an efficient business.

External recruitment is a costly process so if someone is struggling with motivation you may find that you can better use their skills elsewhere. If there is another role that needs filling and their skills or experience fit the bill, you will find that it is cheaper and less time consuming to move them to that position than recruiting someone new.

Develop relationships
Socialising is a good way to develop strong bonds between staff members. This doesn’t have to be in the form of an expensive corporate day out, it could be something as simple as a shared departmental meal, perhaps to celebrate a success.

Having the chance to unwind together and be themselves allows your employees to show each other that there is another side to them outside work. After all, people who get along out of working hours, should work better together.

Introduce new staff
An important part of building a company culture is making sure that your employees are a team. For new employees it is especially important that you take the time to introduce them to their fellow team-mates and others around the company. Starting a new position can be daunting and somewhat isolating if you don’t know anyone.

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