What actually is company culture & how can you create a good one?

Company culture doesn’t have a concrete definition. So how do you identify, or even look to create something that’s essentially, a feeling?

I’ve worked in, and have seen friends work in, places where positive company culture is attempted through different activities. Everything from in-office massages to pizza Fridays… and I’ll set the scene of how well that usually goes down…

Picture this: your inbox is buzzing, your head’s fried, and you’re due to speak to someone on the other side of the world, so you must keep working late. Earlier, your boss pulled you into a project you barely understand, and now, unsurprisingly, when you deliver the goods, they aren’t good enough, and you have to try again. But because you’re so panicked about underperforming, you can’t concentrate enough to improve. You feel like you are constantly chasing your tail and get used to living with a tightness in your chest, which isn’t quite anxiety but you know, isn’t good for you either. It’s just work. You don’t have enough boundaries and are constantly a little on edge. Anyway, when massages are offered or you’re urged to “come and enjoy your pizza,” you’re stressed at the thought of taking time away from your desk to enjoy your ‘treat.’ You’d much rather just get the work done and get home to your partner/sofa/TV/gym/insert whichever activity is better than spending another moment in this hell hole. Ok, I may have gotten a little carried away there, but the point still stands. How can anyone enjoy forced fun if their day-to-day is packed with negative experiences and emotions?

Take the company that delivered lavender to everyone’s desks during Stress Awareness Week – a nice gesture, except (and you can probably guess the irony) everyone was drowning in work and massively stressed. Or the employer that felt like a toxic relationship, beating employees down and ‘apologising’ with champagne (both true stories shared with me by others). I was also recently told by someone that they were encouraged to take a ‘mindfulness’ walk during the weekly company meeting, then accused of skiving when they did just that (professional gaslighting, no?). In fact, whenever I’ve opened the company culture can of worms in conversation, everyone seems to have (several) stories to tell. And usually, about where it’s fallen short.

Company culture starts from the top and seeps down to everyone else like a beautiful bloom-or tangled weeds-depending on who kicks it off. Company culture is about how you make people feel. Grand gestures don’t cut it if you’re not showing people that you genuinely care about them. It’s something you give in return for mutual respect, trust, and loyalty. It should be an unwritten rule, a partnership that doesn’t involve stress or fear. And if it does have to involve some stress (we can’t control everything that happens outside of the culture), it should come with the mindset of “a problem shared is a problem halved.”

How can you foster a good company culture? I think being open is key. Talking about the business in a way that gives people insight into the bigger picture, so they can understand why decisions are made and feel part of the journey.

Being open about how you are feeling. I do think a level of professionalism is ideal (nobody wants a vibe killer to ruin the atmosphere for everyone), but sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it’s impossible not to bring your problems to work, and that’s ok. Again, being transparent about how you feel means people can make allowances for you. And if you are comfortable sharing the more positive parts of your life, too, then that helps. People thrive on connection, and you can only really achieve that if you share on a deeper level.

It’s about asking people what they want from a role and doing your best to make that happen. Of course, we all want to be paid more, but with frequent and well-thought-out review processes, regular reward can be felt.

It’s about being flexible to each individual. I understand this would be hard in a larger company, but then surely that’s why larger companies have bigger teams to handle individual needs? Why can’t someone work across the globe if you trust them to get the job done? If starting later, finishing earlier, or taking longer or shorter lunch breaks makes no difference to the company’s productivity, then why does it need to be done a certain way? Ultimately, if someone is going to shirk work, they’ll do that whether they’re sitting next to you or in another time zone.

It’s about flexible working to suit people’s home lives, whatever they look like, and understanding that people should be working to make their home lives better, and they shouldn’t have to suffer because of work.

It’s about setting an example and setting boundaries. I’m not saying I’ve always got this right. I am the first to admit that I’ve overdone it on the work front on many occasions, but I’ve tried to do better. To set an example of when it’s appropriate to put in extra hours, but also, and more regularly, when it isn’t. Small things, like only emailing during working hours (most of the time), or offering work phones so people can separate their personal and business lives. Offer, not provide, as some might see an extra phone as a burden.

For me, company culture is about letting people know you have their best interests at heart and that you want to make allowances for them, so they can do a good job. I believe that this then filters into how people work for you - with more respect, more trust, and likely, even harder.