4 minute read
How Your Behavior Shapes Company Culture
By Dee Rowe, CACM
Company culture, the backbone of any organization, is not solely the executives’ responsibility. It’s a complex system influenced by various factors, including your behavior. Yes, your actions and attitude directly impact your company’s culture. This realization empowers you to be mindful of your behavior, knowing that it can significantly shape the work environment, either positively or negatively.
Avoid These TOXIC Workplace Habits
Some behaviors, if left unchecked, can erode trust, lower morale, and reduce productivity for you and your coworkers. They create a hostile environment that affects individual wellbeing and hampers team cohesion and collaboration. The consequences of such a toxic culture are far-reaching, leading to high turnover rates, a tarnished company reputation, and, ultimately, a detrimental effect on the bottom line. This underscores the urgency to address these habits.
A non-exhaustive list of these toxic workplace habits follows:
• Exclusion
• Bullying
• Blaming others
• Throwing coworkers “under the bus"
• Not completing your portion of the work timely
• Failing to respond to requests from teammates
• Making fun of coworkers
• Favoritism
• Excessive ‘water cooler talk’ or speaking badly about one coworker to another
For instance, consider the toxic effects of one or two individuals on the culture of a management company that I once worked for. These individuals, without naming names or destroying reputations, caused multiple people to resign rather than deal with their negativity and wreaked havoc on the productivity and even mental health of those who stayed. While their clients loved them, their coworkers did not, and the effects were evident. This is a real-life scenario that underscores the importance of individual behavior in shaping company culture.
Foster These HAPPY Workplace Habits
On the other hand, fostering a positive company culture among coworkers can lead to a thriving workplace. Yes, the executive team should be working to build a healthy company culture, but you do not have to rely solely on their efforts. As we saw in the case of recent Vision award winner Marta Weisler, CCAM, of Associa Northern California, one individual can make or break company culture despite the executive’s efforts. When you make your teammates feel valued and included, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated and offer you assistance when needed. This should inspire you to take action.
Here are some positive habits that you can bring to the workplace to make everyone happier:
• Include all your coworkers
• Accept responsibility when things go wrong
• Inject some fun into the workday
• Complete tasks promptly and save work so everyone who needs to can access it
• Quickly respond to requests from coworkers
• Offer sincere compliments and kudos
• Only speak positively about others
• Treat everyone kindly and with respect
Whether you acknowledge it or not, you play a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining a positive culture. Set a good example and promote behaviors that support the well-being of others. Always act ethically, be open to feedback from your coworkers on how you can improve, and speak up when others engage in toxic behaviors in your presence. Remember, your behavior matters and can significantly impact the company’s culture.
Every employee has a responsibility to contribute to a positive work environment. Company culture is not solely the responsibility of HR or the executives. It starts with self-awareness understanding how your behavior and actions affect others-and extends to how you interact with your colleagues. Encouraging teamwork, showing empathy, and celebrating diversity are habits you can start to enhance the company culture.
What Impact Are You Making?
The impact of your behavior on the company’s culture and the happiness and productivity levels of fellow employees cannot be overstated. A cheerful workplace is a collective effort that requires commitment from all levels of the organization—including you. By doing your part to create a culture of respect, support, and collaboration, you can improve employee satisfaction and retention, boost productivity, and drive success and growth.
Take a moment to self-assess your current ripple effect on the company’s culture. Are you happy with it? Or is there room for improvement? Doing so can improve your chances of getting pay raises and promotions and make you and everyone around you happier during the workday. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by making sure that your impact on the company’s culture is motivating, even if you are not an executive.
Remember that the workplace is a community, and you are solely responsible for your impact on that community. Make your impact positive, and watch your coworkers, career, and company flourish.
