W. Patric Gregory discusses ways to boost culture in the workplace.

1. Five Effective Ways to
Boost Office Culture
W. Patric Gregory

2. Change your
Philosophy
While many of your people share your single-minded
goal to grow the business at (almost) any cost, some
simply don’t. It doesn’t mean they’re disloyal or
ineffective. It simply means they may be coming to
work for a different reason – to reliably earn living, to
derive satisfaction from work well done, or even to
interact with people regularly. So don’t insist on
“growth at all cost.”

3. Encourage
Open Communication
The best way to ensure a better office culture is by
doing your part to encourage honest and open
communication. Discomfort stifles dialogue and
ideas. Only when people feel comfortable sharing
their thoughts and ideas will they share them, and be
likely to share them more often. And when
addressing mistakes, don’t place blame. Discuss the
misstep in a positive manner so that everyone in the
workplace can learn from them.

4. Instill a
Team Mentality
One of the best ways to build and bolster a positive office
culture is by uniting individuals. When people feel they
belong to a team, rather than just a group of employees
performing separate tasks, they become more willing to
accept others for who they are, and trust them. This forges
stronger bonds, promotes even greater creativity, and
increases productivity. Who doesn’t want to be on a
winning team? As captain, coach and cheerleader, it’s up
to you to make it happen.

5. Give Reasons to be
Proud
Ever increasingly, our society is demanding
transparency and authenticity. Businesses can’t ignore
this new reality, or pay lip service to it, and still expect to
prosper. The best way to ensure your company will be
trusted is by starting at your very core, with your
employees. If your people can feel a sense of pride in
what they’re doing and producing, it will not only improve
your office culture but also spread it organically through
their participation in social media.

6. Use Culture to Gauge
Morale
The right culture in one’s office can be viewed as the
immune system in one’s body. That’s why keeping the
culture healthy and robust is so important. If the immune
system is compromised, or even toxic itself, it can hardly
be expected to identify and cleanse impurities within the
organization. With anything but a positive workplace
culture, there will likely be bigger problems down the
road, and addressing them will be all the more
challenging.