Company culture is one of those buzzwords that gets used a lot when talking about successful businesses and the leadership behind them, but what is it, and what does it mean for your business?

When we talk about company culture, particularly good company culture, we’re really talking about the workplace culture, the working environment that the business fosters day to day and the behaviours this instils in the team. 

A lot of this is underpinned by the beliefs and values that the company follows, as well as the purpose statement and company goals. 

A strong company culture can have a very positive effect on your team and the results of the business as a whole for a number of reasons. 

3 reasons company culture matters to SMEs

1 – Improves employee retention

Company culture is important because it means employees feel part of a like-minded team. If there’s no sense of camaraderie or feeling that you’re all working towards a common goal, people are much less likely to want to stay on board and help you achieve that goal. A strong company culture will help keep your employees engaged and committed. 

2 – Attract top talent

Having a good reputation as a company with an enjoyable and productive culture will make attracting top talent for your organisation much easier. People are much more likely to want to work with you if they see that your work culture is positive and aligns with theirs. 

3 – Better employee wellbeing

If your company is committed to doing a great job whilst having a culture that includes a good work-life balance and a focus on work enjoyment, your team will likely feel proud about where they work. They’re also more likely to think more positively about coming to work each day to do their best, which can also help increase productivity. 

Improving company culture

In order to improve your company culture, it’s essential first to understand what kind of culture you want to create.

Once you have a plan of where you want to go, you can then work to implement strategies that will move you closer to that goal. 

We recommend starting by defining the values your company will stand for and aim to live by, as this will lay the groundwork for your company culture going forward. 

It’s really important to consult your team at this stage to get their input and agreement with the values you’re choosing to align your company with. 

Once these values are in place, you can implement strategies to realise the goals you’ve set out. 

Perhaps, if you’re committed to supporting mental health in the workplace, you might begin by implementing mindfulness training at work, or allowing a number of mental health personal days for your team.

Company culture – How can UK Growth Coach help?

These changes take time, and we know it can be challenging to decide how best to implement them. 

One of the key foundational models we use is the Coaching Star – a 10 point star that covers the fundamentals SME businesses need in place to thrive and progress. Points 1 and 2 are on Business Direction and Company Culture. For many of our clients, this is where we start, either creating or refining the mission, values and service statement.

We work with clients to set up an achievable plan to define your company culture and begin to help you see changes in your business. 

If you’d like to schedule a free business review to discuss what this might mean for your business, you can book it directly into our diary.

Or, find out more about our business coaching services.