Developing a growth-oriented company culture is not only the wave of the future; it’s a necessity for organizations today. With employee mental health suffering and a lack of a strong talent pool to pull from, it’s crucial employers build a company culture employees want to join. This means moving away from a performance-based culture and moving toward a growth-oriented culture.
But shifting away from focusing on performance doesn’t mean you are moving away from productivity. In reality, a growth-based culture will help you and your employees boost productivity levels while creating a healthier work environment. Here are some strategies you can use to start making the change.
Shift how you think about mistakes and failure
In a growth-oriented organization, employees aren’t afraid of making a mistake. Failure and errors are viewed as part of the growth experience. This change allows people the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and improve along the way.
If you constantly remove people from your team for their mistakes, you’ll be caught in a tiring cycle. Instead, if you have people with potential on your team, help them learn through their mistakes. Teach them how to review and reflect on their work and results to see what went well and how to adjust what didn’t.
Set a high standard for communication
Effective communication is essential for a growth-oriented company culture. Teach your team to communicate in a positive way with one another. This helps build stronger bonds within your team as everyone builds trust and works together to accomplish the company goals.
Setting a standard for communication also ensures everyone knows where to go if they have questions. Breaking the silos in your organization with communication between departments and roles allows everyone the chance to see the bigger picture of the organization. When employees see how their work impacts others, it also creates new opportunities for growth and idea sharing.
Build a team that aligns with the company mission
You don’t want people on your team who are only looking for a paycheck. You want to build a team that is invested in the organization’s mission because it’s also important to them on a personal level. When you find these individuals, your entire team will become passionate about growing in the direction of achieving personal and organizational goals.
Encourage feedback and new ideas
Everyone on the team should feel open to sharing their ideas. You never know where the best ideas are going to come from. And sometimes, those in other departments are able to shed light on obstacles that are being overlooked by those who are too close to a problem and “can’t see the forest through the trees.”
When employees feel encouraged to use their creativity and problem-solving skills, your entire organization will reach a new level.
Treat your employees like people
Your employees are not machines; they’re not only a means to grow your business. Treat your employees like the humans that they are. Learn about the people on your team and what they care about. Build relationships with those around you day in and day out so you can help each other continue to grow on personal levels as well as professional ones.
When you take an interest in your employees, they are more likely to take an interest in the company’s success. On the other hand, if you treat them like they’re replaceable, they’re not going to buy in to help your company succeed.
If you’re interested in learning how to create a growth-oriented culture in your organization, a SPEARity business coach can help. Contact us today to explore your options for reaching new levels and achieving your goals.
