To strengthen your company culture, value your values 

By Shelley Polansky, President/CEO 

A company’s culture is the foundation by which it operates. It’s the sum of the company’s behaviors, processes, attitudes, beliefs, and values. It’s not something that’s simply written down on paper; it’s a living, breathing thing that continuously evolves as the organization changes staff, operations, products, markets, and more.

A company culture is felt not only by people who work there, but also by anyone who interacts with the organization. We’ve all had experiences where we’ve instantly felt a connection with an organization because they were approachable, transparent, and honest. And we’ve also seen news articles of organizations that have been brought down by greed, deception, and other unethical behaviors. These distinctly different outcomes ultimately have the same cause: the company culture. 

Building a positive company culture is not easy. It takes time and your ongoing commitment. But if you make it your priority, you will see positive impacts on your employee retention, customer satisfaction, and bottom line. 

Company culture role models

Recently, BBB Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming announced the recipients of the 25th annual BBB Torch Awards for Ethics. These businesses and nonprofits demonstrate an unwavering dedication to integrity and ethical practices. Among the areas they truly shine is building and fostering a strong company culture. They implement processes and take steps to unite their teams around their organizations’ vision and mission. When hiring, evaluating, and promoting employees, their decisions are rooted in their companies’ values. They also empower their employees to help shape expectations and culture for their organizations. 

What can you learn from BBB Torch Award recipients? Here are five tips you can follow that will help you build a healthy, productive company culture – and set your organization up for success. 

Live your core values day in, day out

Core values are the essence of your company’s identity, and your company culture is defined by how your values are put into action. When defining your values, think about what’s important to running your business and make sure you operate your business with these actions in mind. For example, if you value innovation, you should be investing in research and development and encouraging employees to always think outside the box. If you value sustainability, you should embrace ways of reducing your environmental footprint in all facets of your operations. 

Most importantly, once you have established your values, you’ll want to make sure they’re more than words on a wall or just listed in the employee handbook. Use them to hire, review, promote, and even terminate employees. Apply them as you interact with customers, partners, and suppliers. Let them guide your strategic decision-making and business planning. 

Give clarity to your purpose

Your mission statement should clearly define the core reasons your company does what it does. Once that purpose is established, an effective company culture will activate it across your organization. Make sure your employees not only know the company’s mission but that they also understand it. Share why the mission exists, how it came to be, why it’s important, and how employees can bring it to life in their everyday actions with each other, customers, and external audiences. 

Foster open communication

Open communication not only breaks down silos and barriers to productivity; it also improves employee morale, accountability, and satisfaction. Employees should feel comfortable asking questions, raising concerns, and proposing ideas – to management and with their colleagues. You should be able to hold productive conversations with them about their performance, areas for improvement, and the company’s strategy. 

Be transparent

By being transparent, you can eliminate misunderstandings, establish expectations, and build trust. When employees – and customers, for that matter – understand what you’re doing and the reasons why, they will be more likely to trust your decisions, believe in your organization, and build a lasting relationship with you. 

Set a good example

Company culture doesn’t simply happen. Whether it’s good or bad, culture is a direct result of the example set by leadership. It’s absolutely critical that you lead by example and practice what you preach. Hold yourself to the same standards you apply to your employees. Don’t just talk about your values, live them. 

By following these tips, you can start to create a strong company culture. But remember, when it comes to culture building, the job is never done. Continue to work on it daily. Evaluate it regularly to make sure it’s reflective of your company’s values and mission. And never underestimate the importance of culture to your business’s success.  

Know an organization that exemplifies a culture of trust and ethics? 

Nominations for the 2024 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics are now open. This prestigious program publicly recognizes organizations that have established practices to elevate their commitment to ethical operations. Winners are selected based on their character, culture, customers, and community. For more information on the Torch Awards and to nominate a business or nonprofit in BBB Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming’s service area, visit bit.ly/2024Nomination.

Shelley Polansky is president/CEO of BBB Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming.