What makes up a company culture? Each culture has its own unique characteristics and intertwined surrounding elements. According to journalist John Coleman, he observed and commented that there are at least 6 factors that create a good company culture.
1.Vision
Peter Senge once said, “A vision is the picture of the future you want to create.” » Great culture always begins with a multifaceted vision. From this vision we can see further goals, and from this lens we can help guide our steps more clearly. When a company determines its direction, it takes it step by step.
This is most easily seen in non-profit organizations, most of their vision is quite simple but full of humanity, so they will stand out from businesses. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association has a vision of “a world without Alzheimer’s disease” or Oxfam has a vision of “a world without poverty.”
A vision statement is a simple element but forms the foundation of an entire culture. The vision is a guideline for all decisions and actions.
2. Value
The heart of culture is the company’s values. Although the vision shows the company’s goals, these values serve as a measure and standard for calibrating the behaviors and perspectives necessary to achieve that vision. And many companies also find that their values revolve around a few simple topics such as: employees, customers, professionalism,… the uniqueness of these values contributes to a company culture.
McKinsey & Company is a testament to this, there is a clear set of values for all employees and the company related to how the company wholeheartedly serves its customers, treats its colleagues well, and is always professional. Karma. Or we can also see a big company like Google, their value is just a slogan but it’s also the famous rule “Don’t be mean”, of course in addition They also have their own set of values called “10 things we know that they are true” as internal rules of their company.
(Photo source: Internet)
3. Practicality
Attractive jobs
It is a fact that values become less important if they are not respected in a company’s practices. If an organization claims that “people are our greatest asset,” then it must invest directly in people in the way it claims.
Wegman’s Company (New York) proposed values that will be implemented in the future such as “caring” and “respect”, as well as the vision of a “dream job”. And at the end of this process, it became the 5th best company according to Fortune magazine’s ranking.
Similarly, if an organization has “fairly low” value, that company should encourage employees and managers to discuss and give feedback on “common values”, avoiding passive conflict as well as being affected by the negativity. And whatever the value of an organization, it must be considered according to the evaluation criteria and operational policies of the company, thus transforming this “spiritual value” into reality.
4 people
Who will provide the vision? Who will share these fundamental values? Which staff will be ready and able to implement these values?… The important factor contributing to building a coherent culture in the company is people.
This is why the world’s leading companies have some of the strictest recruiting policies to find brilliant people for their companies. According to Charles Ellis (author of the book What it Takes: Seven Secrets of Success from the World’s Greatest Professional Firms): “A good company always intends to recruit employees who are not only good, but also suitable for the company . » , because they will help create a corporate culture. For him, a company must interview between 8 and 20 people for a vacant position in order not to miss out on talent. Dr. Steven Hunt (of the Monster Company) said: “A study shows that candidates who fit the company culture will accept a salary 7% lower. A person who lives in the culture they love will try to stay longer and help strengthen the culture the organization already has. »
5. The power of stories
Like Coca-Cola, they passed on valuable historical lessons to the next generation, so it has now become a celebration of that company’s heritage. Or the interesting stories of Steve Jobs who gradually made Apple the most successful brand in the world.
Historical lessons through stories are the “invisible power” that helps every individual in the company understand and follow the footsteps of previous successes and achievements that the company has built.
6. “Open” work environment
Building an effective work environment means building a successful company culture. In today’s dynamic and professional work environment, in addition to being creative to find your own ways to work faster and more efficiently, there is a very good way to create your own value: adopt habits, work practices, ways of behaving in a civilized and polite manner. behavior.
Open architecture brings more benefits when working in the office, usually collaboratively. Some cities and countries with different cultures may not agree with this factor. Because the business culture of every place and country is always diverse and rich. If in the United States, businesses are characterized by freedom and generosity, in Japan, they are characterized by discipline and dedication. If in Korea, companies are characterized by loyalty, responsibility and high community involvement, then in Germany, companies demonstrate precision, prudence, discipline and practicality.
These factors contribute to the uniqueness of each company culture in each location.
HRchannels – Headhunter – Premium recruitment service
