Is Business Culture Really That Hard To Influence?

The most complex “assets” you will ever have to deal with in your firm is its people. This is true even if you have a fantastic, dependable workforce. The truth is that while the overwhelming majority of staff you hire will be wonderful workers who only want to earn money for their families, people are people, and are, by definition, unpredictable.

Yet this fact can sometimes be extrapolated by those who offer business advice, and twisted into a bitter warning. The logic goes that if you’re not careful, your staff will easily contribute to a harmful, toxic culture which must be stamped out at any opportunity. Of course, sometimes, this can be true. Any culture that accepts harassment, discrimination of any kind, or bullying must be absolutely stamped out and fixed. There are systems you can put in place to prevent that primary outcome, such as having confidential reporting systems where staff can raise issues without fear of blowback.

However, is business culture really that hard to influence? Are people really that complex, and should it take all your energy to ensure people get along? We don’t think so. In this post, we’ll discuss the structural measures to consider instead:

Use Reliable HR Services For People Management

Ultimately, reliable HR services such as Waddington Brown can handle many of the complexities related to people management for you. They help ensure policies are fair, issues are addressed confidentially, and staff concerns are taken seriously. Such services provide the backbone for a healthy workplace culture, dealing with problems before they escalate, or simply making sure the everyday responsibilities of people management (booking holidays, managing illness etc) have a helpful effect.

Invest In Team Activities, Bonding & Training

Your staff doesn’t have to be the best of friends to work well with one another, but trusting one another and a decent amount of professional respect is key. Team activities can help you bring people out of the offices for a day of fun, be that escape room activities, team building conferences, or simply going for a team meal before the festive period is over. It allows each staff member to remember the humanity behind each professional image.

Give Staff Space, Autonomy & Respect

While likening people to pets is absolutely wrong, it’s instructive to think about how two animals in the same household might function. If they’re constantly locked in the same small space, never have a break from one another, and are treated without respect, it won’t be long before conflict becomes their default stance.

That’s why giving staff autonomy and respect, making sure each one has their own desk space (without feeling cramped), letting each one speak in their team meetings, providing each a locker space or enough room to eat their lunch comfortably, it will all allow for the gentle thriving of human capability in a hard working environment. It will also mean those busy days aren’t too overwhelming. It’s amazing how many businesses can ignore these basic implements when thinking about staff culture.

With this advice, you’ll be sure to curate a positive working atmosphere for each one of your staff members.

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