Workplace culture: Misconceptions and crucial aspects.

Workplace culture is one of the most misunderstood terms in any organization. The general perception that we have of workplace culture is that it is the personality of any organization. But it fails to give you a broad picture. It is all about underlying values, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions. In organizations, organizational approaches and leadership qualities play a pivotal role. It is the collective knowledge of the people in any organization which shapes the operational structure. That is one of the reasons why every organization is different and they have different work cultures too.

Misconceptions of work culture:

1. You do not build your workplace culture by the words you share:

The general idea of building a strong culture is all about speaking on it. But it is not. Sometimes, big words that lie on your office wall do not add value to your culture if you do not act on something concrete. Painting your walls with the company’s core values may make your workplace look good, but it does not add any real value.

2. A healthy workplace culture includes a great team:

If you believe that a strong founding team, products, and resources can build your culture, then you are wrong. Business leaders should find the right strategies for implementing their core beliefs among their employees. It takes communication and tracking down the behaviors of the employees from time to time. You will have the best team, but if you fail in creating a great culture, your brand will die with time.

3. Offering employee perks is just not sufficient:

Employee perks and benefits keep on adding significant value to any organization. But is it enough? 

The culture transition does not happen overnight by providing your employees with a gift voucher. Your culture is not driven by any tangible benefits that include a human approach to solving employee needs. A right workplace culture means connecting with your employees at the human level.

4. Organisational core values cannot be changed:

Everything changes with time. The same goes for workplace culture. A small startup might have to adapt new business strategies with time. Every year the corporate culture trends will have to take a new shift, and you should adapt to a culture that can give positive outcomes.

What is the need to create a positive work culture?

Employees spend the majority of their time at their organizations. Therefore, workplace culture plays a significant impact in their lives. It is crucial to provide them with a working environment that they respect and enjoy.

A positive workplace culture improves teamwork and increases productivity. It boosts employee morale and reduces unwanted stress.

A positive work culture promotes healthy work employee engagement and attracts top talent. Hence, it is crucial to understand the critical aspects of workplace culture for great organizational success.

1. Purpose: A defined purpose gives the employees a bigger picture to see things. A sense of purpose helps the workforce enthusiastically. It improves employees’ work processes and behavior. It is also crucial to demonstrate the actions that employees can take regularly to be responsible toward their goals.
2. Learning different opportunities: It helps employees to develop their job satisfaction and skills. Organizations can benefit a lot by providing learning opportunities to their employees. It extends the skill sets of the workforce and they become more efficient. A work culture that takes care of its employees should have a sustainable business. It is also crucial to touch them at the human level and understand how to amalgamate them into the culture.
3. Appreciation matters: A culture of appreciation is vital for any work culture. The culture of appreciation helps in building organizational effectiveness and gives its employees a sense of acknowledgment. An organization cannot reach its full potential if it does not implement the quality of appreciating its employees. Lack of appreciation results in low employee morale. So, organizations that focus on employee appreciation drive better employee engagement.
4. Teamwork is the key: Teamwork is a collaborative process that teaches unity and imbibes the beliefs in shared goals and gives a sense of belongingness. Every individual performance helps in adding a lot of value with the right teamwork spirit. People bring their own skill sets to the table and group work helps in a symbiotic relationship. A teamwork culture helps in problem-solving and builds productivity. A workplace that encourages teamwork meets their desired goals.
5. Leadership: People are always drawn toward great leaders. Leadership quality has a significant role in workplace culture. The way a leader leads a company helps in building a business strategically. It is the leadership practices that can make or break a work culture. This is a critical factor that has to be more flexible and more adaptive in time.

So, an effective work culture plays a crucial role in the making and breaking of an employee’s future. Make sure that your work culture speaks in abundance.