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Amy Morin

Amy Morin writes about psychology and business, as well as business people, such as Steve Wynn.

Amy Morin has written 10 articles for SB Informer.
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Why is Our Office Culture Important?

Amy Morin

October 09, 2013


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The culture of your small business can easily make or break your success.

Establishing the right culture can take some trial and error but it’s well worth the effort as it can pay off in more ways than one.

Benefits of Creating a Positive Culture

There are several benefits of creating a great culture to your small business which can help you become more successful.

Productivity– When employees have a positive attitude about their work environment, they are much more likely to be productive. Instead of wasting time texting and taking frequent bathroom breaks to get away from the negativity, a positive morale will keep them working hard.

Retention Rates- When people are happy with the office culture, they’re much more likely to keep their jobs. Lower turnover rates and higher retention means less money you’ll have to spend attracting and training new employees.

Engagement- The right culture can keep employees engaged. When they’re engaged, they’ll care about the company’s success. Instead of simply focusing on their own paycheck, they’ll want to make sure the company as a whole is doing well.

Ways to Create the Right Culture

Creating the right culture takes time. Start with one change at a time so you can test the results before moving on to the next change.

Workspace- The workspace you provide your employees will set the tone for the office culture. Semi-private cubicles with the boss in the back office will give the space a formal tone. On the other end of the spectrum you’ll find offices where employees sit on therapy balls, have their desks arranged anyway they want and the supervisor sits among them.

Expectations for Time- Your expectations of your employee’s time will also contribute to the office culture. If you want to create a family friendly culture, allow for more flexibility and the ability to work from home. If you want a formal culture, set rigid expectations about work hours.

Dress Code- The dress code is a heavily debated topic among business owners. Some believe that professional dress is needed to keep employees behaving like professionals. Other companies want their employees to feel comfortable and to be able to express themselves through their clothing.

Benefits– The extra perks you offer employees can make a big difference to the office culture. If you’ve got a foosball table in the back and company paid massages every Friday, you’ll certainly be saying a lot about the office culture.

Socialization- The amount of socialization you encourage for your employees can make the difference between a formal and casual work environment. Formal environments may offer an annual “team building” event that may make some employees groan. More casual environments encourage employees to dine together or head out for drinks after work regularly.

Employee Input- Look at the message you send employees about how their input is valued. Do you want to give the message that “the boss is always right,” or do you encouragement creative ideas and suggestions?

What to Do About the Bad Seeds

If you’ve got a couple of employees who seem to be bringing down office morale, it’s important to address it. Sometimes just a few bad seeds can really make the environment toxic. If they’re not fitting in with the office culture, perhaps it’s best that they move along.

Creating a positive culture for your small business takes hard work and is likely to require some fine tuning along the way.

However, once you’ve got the right culture, it’ll pay off in more ways than one.


                   



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