2020 was a tough year for many families and organizations. Remote work became the norm for many, and while vaccines may finally subdue the raging COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 is still filled with uncertainty. Wayne Shulick, who specializes in top-tier management, believes that strong company culture will be key in 2021.
“Occasionally people treat company culture like a buzzword,” Wayne Shulick argues. “It’s sometimes tossed around too much. That said, company culture is vital and when given the proper attention, it can give your company a serious competitive advantage.”
With remote work becoming more popular, company culture will be more difficult to instill, yet potentially more important as well. The right company culture will help remote teams stay on track and may increase productivity.
“I know a lot of managers are struggling with remote work,” Wayne Shulick points out. “Home offers a lot of comfort, but also a lot of distractions. Workations to exotic locations may help employees relax, but often, the vacation part takes precedence over the work.”
By building and instilling the right company culture, you can keep people on track no matter where they are. In an era of remote work, that’s especially important.
“Keeping employees on track is difficult,” Wayne Shulick says. “However, the right company culture will encourage your employees to perform at their best for your company, whether they’re in the office, at home, or on a beach on the other side of the world.”
So how do you instill strong company culture, especially amid a pandemic with so many people working remotely? Wayne Shulick has some suggestions just about every company can try.
“You need to start by increasing communication,” Wayne Shulick says. “And don’t make it all about business. Send your team members a message simply asking how they are and if there’s anything they can do. Show appreciation by sending care packages to them too.”
It’s important to gain insights from your team members too. Fortunately, it’s easy to source feedback through surveys. Wayne Shulick suggests sending out anonymous surveys asking employees what they want and what they value.
“Data is always good,” Wayne Shulick says. “It’s now easier than ever before to gather data through Google surveys and other tools. Leverage these tools and find out what employees value and what drives them.”
Once you have data in hand and understand your employees, you can align your values with their values.
“Instead of defining your values first, it’s smart to understand your employees and then outline your values,” Wayne Shulick notes. “If you have existing values, you don’t have to abandon them, but as you learn about your employees, you may want to realign some of your values to match with their values.”
Act on the insights above and you’ll be on your way to building a stronger company culture.