MightyRecruiterAs a business owner, manager or other leader in your company, you know how taxing the job can be for you and others who share similar duties. Not all duties are created equal, and a lot of times, leaders in any position can burn out from spinning their wheels on tasks, policies or methods that don’t produce much in the end. By creating a robust corporate culture, you’re conserving your important energy for the things that reallyï¬ matter by leaning more on your team. Learn how to build your robust corporate culture with these seven key steps.
1. Leave No Question Unasked ï Even the Dumb Ones
One of the worst ways to lead is by having to be smarter than everyone else in the room. Leave your ego or pride at the door, and allow your and your team’s ideas to pulse through the company during a scheduled and relaxed period of time. Allow all things to be questioned (practices, methods, policies, etc.), and allow all questions to be asked, no matter how dumb they may seem. This freedom and clearing of the air gives your entire team of professionals the opportunity to communicate and, eventually, innovate.
2. Consider Why You’re Doing Something, and Forget the Group
Yes, you are in charge of a group of people who you hope will accomplish set goals under determined conditions. However, when you’re working, forget the team in order to focus on your own personal tasks. Not doing this step can result in unnecessary anxiety about looking good instead of creating a product or service that is of the highest quality in and of itself. It’s also good to ask yourself why you’re doing something well. Is it for the good of the company, or are you the burning midnight oil five times a week to be personally validated later? Does this project need this much attention? Asking these questions can lead to a reduction in the energy you’re spending unnecessarily, energy you can spend in other areas of life or work.
3. Cut the Chatter and Get to the Doing
Projects need discussing, but sometimes discussion can inhibit innovation and production. If there has been a continual debate about a change or new project, and there doesn’t seem to be a compromising solution on the horizon, take charge and end the debate. Let the employee who wishes for change to experiment on a small scale with their ideas to see how it’ll work. You’ll end the chatter, but you’ll also work toward that robust corporate culture through progress.
4. Don’t Forget Acceptance
Progress is necessary for a company, but it doesn’t guarantee excellent work all of the time. In fact, much of innovation requires less-than-perfect ideas or results that can then be built upon with more innovation. If you’ve been a leader that forces absolute excellence in everything, it’s time to change things and create a climate that is accepting of less-than-satisfactory work. Your robust corporate culture can’t be built with a stifled creative team.
5. Invest in the Mess
You should commit to and accept the mess and chaos of progress in order to enjoy the fruits from it. Don’t take it all on by yourself, but allow your teammates to help polish an idea with you. Likewise, invite your group to share work that hasn’t been completed yet to get constructive group feedback along the way.
6. Make Innovation Fun for Everyone
If the mess and chaos of progress feels more like pulling teeth when it comes to getting things done, then you can forget the robust corporate culture you’re trying to build. With the stress of progress should be a mentality of play. After all, some of the most creative ideas come from playing around with ideas and questioning everything. Create a purpose for your group, and spend less time pressuring and more time challenging your team in an accepting environment.
7. Take Smart Risks
Accept that the road to building a robust corporate culture takes risks, but make sure they are smart ones. You don’t want your employees to see you as a beacon of excellence; be open to just being acceptable or taking public risks from time to time. Taking the time to work on this step can open up more opportunities for your group to cooperate in a forum that doesn’t feel cold and structured. If you lead by example, they will follow with innovative action. Creating a robust corporate culture starts with you. Taking these seven steps is key to making it happen. If you want to learn more about how to make a better workplace for your employees, check out the other articles and tools on Mighty Recruiter.