As a leader, you build the people and the people build the company. So, if your people are not happy and motivated, they will be unable to build your company. One of the major factors affecting your team’s happiness and motivation is the company culture.

But what is company culture? How do you create a company culture?

Keys Facts Around Culture:

A Culture is Like an Immune System

First things first, you need to understand what company culture is. Company culture is like an immune system. It keeps people happy and motivated so that they can keep performing at their best. Strong company culture will ward off hard times, bad results, and other storms with ease.

Without a company culture, you leave yourself open to attack from any germ or parasite walking past. Build a strong company culture, as it’s a necessity.

Understand What Motivates People

Motivation forms a large part of company culture. Knowing what motivates each team member is crucial. While you may quickly assume it's money, often that could not be further from the truth. Rather, feeling valued, safe, challenged, seen, and having a purpose are all great motivators.

Culture Must Empower Growth

Your company culture will help to empower your employees. People who work in a good company culture feel way more motivated and productive and are more likely to come up with new ideas. Building your company culture empowers your team for growth, both in themselves and for the company.

You Must Create The Culture

The main question is how do you create a culture? As with many questions, the answer is in the question. YOU, you are the one who needs to build the culture. Here are a few ways:

• Communicate – Having open lines of communication is a great way to keep up morale and motivation. Have constant and personalised communication with your team.
• Be Available and Present – Being available and present is vital. Having an open-door policy and taking the time to be present when your team meets with you is how you build a strong company culture.
• Lead – You are the leader, so lead. A company without leadership will lack vision and direction, and thus, will be unmotivated and unproductive. This will destroy the company culture. Lead always!
• Check-in – Take the time to check in with each team member. Learn who they are and what they are working toward. Work at aligning your goals with theirs to help them remain motivated.
• Be Part Of The Team – No one is motivated by someone who sits in an ivory tower. So, ditch it and become part of the team. A leader who leads from the front is a true leader.

Focusing on your company culture is crucial to growing your company. Your culture will empower your team, motivate them, and importantly, it will protect them like an immune system.