A lot has been said and written about company culture and associated practices. While many claim that it doesn’t exist, the truth is that every company in the world has a unique culture attached to it. It doesn’t have anything to do with HR policies. It doesn’t have to do about the company’s services and products. And it doesn’t have anything to do with brand name or reputation.
Organizational culture, in layman’s terms, can be considered as just another group in the workplace. It follows certain behavioral traits that everyone in it is expected to follow. If you follow these traits, you belong to the culture. If you don’t, you are termed a misfit. That’s all there is to it.
So why is there such hoopla about company culture whenever the topic comes up? This may be probably due to the several myths that surround it. Here are some of the more common myths about office culture as well as the truth behind them.
Myth 1: It’s the leader who creates the culture
It is not the leader, but the entire group of individuals who create workplace culture. The actions and behaviors of the people in this group define its culture. And any team that leads other teams with its culture can be considered as a leader and not the other way around.
Myth 2: Corporate culture is not made, it just happens
Although many consider workplace culture to be something that happens by chance, the truth is far from it. A powerhouse workplace culture is engineered by an executive team who should exercise great care and effort.
The conscious and organized efforts of the leadership team of executive members form a culture for the entire organization. Just allowing culture to happen by chance can have the opposite effect and create more than one conflicting culture that could spell doom for the organization in the long run
Myth 3: Culture can be confined to certain standards
Culture can never be bottled up. It can only evolve. As such, there is no way you can confine organizational culture to specific standards or hold onto it in the hope that it will never change. With time, the company will mature. With that, beliefs and priorities will change. These changes will add new dimensions to the culture, helping it to evolve as the company grows.
Myth 4: Corporate Culture does not reflect on overall performance
A positive work culture will have a definite impact on the organization’s overall performance. Attempting to achieve organizational goals with just a plan and nothing else may yield positive results. However, it may not keep the employees as well as the executive members in the right state of mind. Company performance, whether good or bad, is a direct reflection of the actions and behaviors of its workforce, as defined by its culture.
Myth 5: Culture is nothing but fun perks
Corporate culture has got to do much more than just having fun at the workplace and enjoying happy hours in between work. Although these may motivate your employees to an extent, it would soon wear off. Creating a culture of respect is more long lasting and allows employees to remain motivated for longer periods.
Myth 6: Culture does not reflect on the employee hiring process
Corporate culture does have a say in choosing employees for the workplace. It is imperative that you choose individuals who have traits that match the company culture. Although individuals with different ideas can be accepted, they should have a common interest or passion that is shared with the rest of the team. This shared interest can then lay the foundation for a strong culture that embodies the ideas, values and goals of every member of the team as well as the team itself.
Company culture is not a myth. It is a reality that is alive and active in every organization out there. As such, a strong business culture can be established only be debunking the myths surrounding it.
