For years, company culture has played an essential role in contributing to a business’ reputation perception and overall work environment. Work culture even has the power to motivate employees and their performance. This is why it’s essential to make an effort to foster a positive work culture.
Many organizations have transitioned to a virtual work environment in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone working from different areas, many leaders have struggled in building a positive work culture.
Although this year has brought new ways of working to the forefront, it is important to note that remote work has not stopped teams from promoting a positive work culture. Online conferencing tools have made it possible for groups to stay connected amidst the current climate.
If you are having trouble thinking of ways to bring your team together and boost your company culture, here are a few ways to grow a positive company culture in a remote workplace.
Plan your work culture.
One of the most important steps in creating a positive work culture is to plan ahead of time. If you fail to do so, you may not achieve the results you were aiming for. You can start by thinking about exactly what type of culture you want to create and maintain. You should also think about creating a company culture that retains top talents.
It is critical to actively plan and map out what you want your work culture to look like, especially in a remote environment. From that day forward, you will need to pay close attention to your actions as a leader. Do your actions promote or reflect the positive work culture you wish to create?
Companies with a strong work culture have everything down packed, from their internal lingo to their set of values and leadership principles. Finding ways to reinforce these values and principles can help build a culture for remote teams.
Practice what you preach.
If you do not believe in the importance of positive work culture, chances are, your employees will have the same mentality. Once they maintain this type of mindset, the damage will already be done, and they will not be receptive to any efforts you make to boost culture in the future.
Furthermore, if you exhibit poor behavior in the workplace, employees will likely mirror this behavior as well. For example, if you show up late or are constantly missing meetings, employees may not see punctuality as an essential value. In the same way, if you constantly complain about how many unread emails have been piling up in your inbox, this can create a culture where it is believed that reading and responding to all emails are not important.
Work on building a culture for remote teams.
In a remote work environment, maintaining your company’s culture is especially critical because the team is missing out on physical interactions and everything else that comes with working in the office.
In addition, working from home presents a new set of challenges that were non-existent in the office. For example, think about how often a co-worker has had their child, spouse, or other family members accidentally walk in on their online meetings, or even the extra background noises that now accompany team calls, like dogs barking, babies crying, or background conversations taking place.
This new work-from-home environment presents new opportunities in building a culture for remote teams. All you need is positivity and understanding. Instead of expressing frustration when there is extra background noise, show your co-workers that you understand they could not avoid these circumstances. Show compassion and try your best not to get annoyed at these factors that are out of their control.
Doing so will help your team feel comfortable and secure no matter what their situation is.
Show empathy to your team.
One of the best ways to create a positive company culture is to be authentic and empathetic with your team. This is even more important in a remote work environment where employees are not physically together.
Make an effort to put yourself in the shoes of your employees. Then, ask yourself, “What kind of culture would allow me to thrive and do my best work?” It is important to remember that everyone comes from different walks of life, and they may not all share the same concerns. An entry-level employee working to make ends meet may not share the same concerns as a senior-level director or VP.
When doing this exercise among yourself, begin by writing down a handful of statements that you would want employees to make regarding your company’s work culture. If it helps, you can even ask your team for their input on what they would like to see in your culture.
From there, start brainstorming ways to make those statements a reality. This can include everything from more team check-ins to culture-boosting activities, like virtual happy hours.
Grow a positive company culture.
Believe it or not, seeing and interacting with people around the office was a major contributor to positive company culture. With this physical aspect of the workplace now gone, it is important to find ways to make up for this loss and keep employees connected.
At Infinity Consulting Solutions (ICS), we know how important it is to build and maintain a positive work culture. We also know that doing so is especially important in a remote work environment.
To learn more about how to grow positive company culture and set your team up for success, check out our ICS blog, and contact us with any questions or inquiries. We’d be more than happy to share our best practices and help guide you on your journey.