How To Build An Effective Corporate Culture

One big thing we’ve learned about corporate culture over our decades of experience is that corporate culture isn’t created, it’s collected. From the existing values of your employees. From their passions. From their dedication to each other and their work. The most powerful thing about any corporate culture is that it already exists within the hearts and minds of your employees. But it has to be shared, collected, and crafted into an expression and a vision that everyone sees themselves in.

It has to be trusted, nurtured, and held sacred by every person, at every level of your organization.

An effective corporate culture is identified and threaded together in meaningful and purposeful ways. Building this shared team culture doesn’t just create mutual understanding within your company, it builds ownership and pride. It means every single person in your organization is invested on a personal level: they are given an opportunity and a voice to contribute to building this team culture, and they see themselves reflected back in how it’s brought to life.

Let’s look at a few of the steps we take when we discuss how to build a team culture with our clients.

Strong corporate cultures start with open conversations.

Engaging your employees at every level of the company in open, honest conversations helps uncover what drives them: their passions, challenges, and what they take pride in.

Identify the team traditions, habits, and beliefs that already exist.

Look for the commonalities that your people already share. These are the beliefs and habits—both spoken and unspoken—that already create a sense of alignment among your team.

Define your team’s shared beliefs.

Use the language you hear to define your employee’s shared beliefs. Putting these points down on paper elevates them beyond individual feelings. It shows that your organization values what you hear and respects the same beliefs.

Connect beliefs to behaviors.

Show how your employees’ traits and passions align with and amplify your organization’s purpose, strategy, and vision. Seeing culture in action builds a strong sense of pride and ownership.

Externalize your corporate culture with an Employer Brand.

Corporate culture is a crucial tool for attracting talent. Creating an Employer Brand that reflects who you are and why it matters helps you attract others who believe what you believe and who will help move your organization forward.

Curious about how to align and activate your corporate culture?

Learn more about our Brand Development solutions here