Company Culture
Back to
basics
Gemma Chadwick, business and HR
manager at Penguins, says a positive
corporate culture needs to be flexible
and cultivated
W
“By doing this,
we are able
to empower
colleagues, who
may have a long-
term mental
health issue or
disability, to
thrive at work”
orkplace culture is a topic on almost every
leader’s lips. The question is, what does
it actually mean and how do you create the right
culture for your business?
While businesses may have a culture of
collaboration, how this collaboration manifests
itself will change depending on the individuals
or groups involved. This can change wildly from
minute to minute, person to person, which
should be actively encourage. Culture should not
be stifling or restrictive, it should be positive,
innovative and secure. Often culture can be
mistaken for values, these are generally far more
rigid and help us to decide the difference between
right and wrong; they act as a moral compass and
guide how we behave in certain situations.
When recruiting it is important to ensure
that you employ individuals with shared values,
such as trust, passion, commitment etc. It is
equally important that there is diversity in
culture and backgrounds. The wider variation
of cultures within your workforce will provide a
richer corporate culture and drive creativity and
constructive debate. Creating a workplace culture
is easier said than done and is not something
that can be forced, it needs to be encouraged and
cultivated naturally. In order to create a positive
company culture, it is really important to go back
to the basics, so here are three top tips:
Create a safe environment
Toxic leadership and negative attitudes are a killer
for workplace culture. Individuals have to feel
confident in their ability to be themselves, which
includes making mistakes – these are something
we learn from and help us grow. It is important
that employees feel like they can add value by
being themselves. Employees at all levels should
feel confident and comfortable to speak out and
respectfully challenge, no matter a person’s
seniority or job title.
Collaboration
It’s corny but, teamwork makes the dream work.
Encouraging collaboration and openness between
employees and teams it actively breaks down
barriers. In today’s modern world with flexible
working and often widely dispersed workforces, it
is even more important that we encourage teams
to come together, get to know each other and
create a supportive environment. Ultimately work
is where we spend most of our time.
Health and wellbeing
This simply comes down to caring. Health and
wellbeing is another massive topic in the business
world at the minute. But what it really means is
listening, knowing your teams and looking for
signals. This is not always so simple but ensuring
that you have the right line managers in place,
with adequate training and support channels is
a great start. There is a growing call both within
government and employers for every workplace to
have a mental health first aider. This doesn’t mean
psychoanalysing every conversation, but it helps
to look for tell-tale signs of stress, anxiety or other
mental health problems, which can be so easily
addressed if spotted early.
While there is no easy fix to create a positive
workplace culture, there actually is. Be kind,
be supportive and care. Encouraging this will
provide a solid grounding for a positive working
environment, collaborative teams and, ultimately,
a pretty nice place to spend your day.
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