8 Steps to Creating a Winning Corporate Culture
March 1, 2022

8 Steps to Creating a Winning Corporate Culture

Culture can make or break a company. Culture is incredibly important because it sets the tone for everything from how the early team interacts with the kinds of hires made to how customers are treated. One mistake can set you back months. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to set your company apart by building a winning culture.

Here are eight steps to creating a winning corporate culture:

1. Learn from the past

We all have experiences from which we can draw valuable lessons. If you’re a first-time founder, examine the corporate cultures of organizations you worked for previously. What worked for you in those cultures? What didn’t? Similarly, consider the cultures you have already created if you’re a seasoned entrepreneur. What cultivated success?

2. Create a culture that aligns with your core values

This is your business. You’re driving it, and you need to infuse who you are into what you do. Otherwise, it won’t work. Think about your personality and, more importantly, your core values. Are you ingeniously innovative or unwittingly creative? Do you foster a work hard, play hard mentality? Are you relaxed but also expect the best from people? If so, create that balance between work and play. Are you a true collaborator? Then advance that behavior in your company and promote the people who get it. Do you expect the Disney level of customer service from everyone at every level? Then hire people who display that spark, smile, and personality.

Take time to reflect on who you are, the vibe you want to radiate, and, ultimately, the culture that fits you and your brand.

3. Find great people who complement you

Round out your corporate culture by hiring people who offer different experiences than yours. As tempting as it may be, avoid hiring a “mini-me.” Identify your strengths and weaknesses, then fill in the gaps.

For example, if you are a fantastic innovator but fall short on running the numbers, bring in a savvy financial officer. If you are a risk taker, hire someone more conservative. Diverse perspectives grounded in a shared vision are worth their weight in gold. Again, just be sure not to sacrifice your core values.

4. Communicate

One of Zappos’s 10 core values is, “Build open and honest relationships with communication.” Founder Tony Hsieh exemplified this value by announcing Amazon’s $850 million acquisition of Zappos in an open letter to employees in 2009. The company continues to thrive, as does its coveted culture.

So when developing culture, talk with each other. This might sound trite, but it’s easier said than done. People must be able to share their ideas and speak openly without fear of repercussion. People want their opinions heard, and they want to feel good.

5. Have fun

It’s simple: a little fun goes a long way. Granted, this looks different for every business. A tech company can get away with more fun than perhaps a law firm or hospital. But there are ways to engage employees in activities that feel less like work. For example, declare half-day Fridays during the summer, take your team indoors rock climbing, go to a wine tasting after work hours, or hold a contest. Just do something out of context and give people the freedom to relax, show up in a different way and have fun.

6. Invite people to “drink the Kool-Aid”

The bottom line, everyone needs to be a believer. If you don’t stand for anything, you stand for nothing.

When JetBlue hires new crewmembers, the company invites them and their spouses to JetBlue University for orientation in Orlando. They introduce guests to top leadership, show brand videos, share stories, flight simulators, and wine and dine them. In other words, they invite them to drink the “blue juice.” And it works. JetBlue’s annual net profit rose from $58 million in 2009 to $168 million in 2013. As Henry Harteveldt, a senior analyst at Hudson Crossing, points out, “The airline succeeds because it places great emphasis on internal communications and creating and sustaining a positive work environment.”

7. Work as a team

Stop thinking of people in terms of “employees” or “departments.” You’re all part of the same team, so act like it. Rallying around the idea “we’re all in this together” builds a sense of unity and community, which fosters culture. The best people are team players who genuinely support the company, its founders, management, and co-workers.

8. Maintain and carefully evolve your culture

Culture is not something you put in place and expect to stay forever. It takes work. You need to nurture it. You also need to give it the freedom to evolve. If you cling too tightly to your culture, you risk smothering it. Protect it, but understand that your culture will shrink and swell — and that’s okay so long as it maintains its core.

Evaluate people on your team against the backdrop of your culture. Effectively evolving your corporate culture sometimes requires making hard decisions to let go of people who don’t evolve with it.

Your Talent Partner,
Asenath van den Berg
Director – ASIE Personnel