This week’s Monday Mo was written by Kelley Dolan, Chief of Staff to the CAO,FIRST ONSITE.
Who feels that we talk about culture too much at work? Or not enough? Why has company culture continued to be a topic that comes up constantly in articles, in events, in office discussions?
Because it matters.
What retains employees during a time of movement? What retains people who are watching their colleagues leave companies they have been at for ages, or for minutes. What brings new hires on board now more than ever before?
Do I have to even say it?
Culture. It matters.
I am going to try and not repeat anything you can find elsewhere. I want to give you a few tangible ideas, and a conceptual idea to have a positive influence on culture, whether you are part of a large or small organization.
For the tangible first:
We are ALL working hard at reminding each other that we are our culture. It won’t change unless we want it to. We now just have the benefit of spreading what we have worked on to all our new coworkers (as part of an acquisition in the last year), and expand what we can do with the programs they bring! For years I have read about culture activities with crazy huge budgets – and sighed with frustration when I knew I couldn’t spend like that. However, as a team here we never let a limited budget stop the culture we have built, and continue to work on. Your company doesn’t make your culture, your team does. If you get the right people in the door, committed to your goals and working with each other, there is no stopping what the team can accomplish together.