Every business has a culture. Usually the culture begins as an extension of the owner/founder.  The business takes on the personality of the founder; their attitudes, policies, actions and beliefs. As a company grows, these personality traits define the business and how it operates. These legacy actions etc. may actually be getting in the way of business performance.

What is “business culture” and how does it impact your business? In the words of anthropologist E.B. Tylor, culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” In more contemporary terms, culture is the beliefs, actions and behaviors that define how a company interacts with its employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders.  Your organization’s culture is important because it directly reflects what the organization finds important and meaningful.

Unfortunately, when someone starts a business they usually do not make the time for long term strategic planning.  As a result, the organizations grows in a somewhat haphazard manner. The organizations policies and procedures evolve as situations arise and need to be dealt with.  Very few business owners or managers actually plan their growth (tough to do even in the best economic conditions) nor do they define their organizational culture. Employees then get hired as needed without consideration for how they fit into the culture.

The result is an organization with a haphazard set of actions, policies, beliefs and routines that may not communicate the true organizational vision.  For example; the business can’t claim they place an emphasis on good customer service while at the same time not providing employees with the resources necessary to  provide that service. This conflict between stated ideals and actual practices creates a conflict for employees and impacts how your customers view your business.

The start of any customer service improvement plan is to define your organization’s culture. How do you determine what your organizational culture looks like? Take a good look around your organization, observe employee interactions, look at how tasks are accomplished; what’s important and what isn’t. Take notes as you observe the day to day operation of your business. 

Inc. magazine columnist Geoffrey James has a great video on helping you to define your culture. Enjoy! https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/steer-corporate-culture.html