6 Questions You Should Ask Yourself to Understand Your Company Culture

If you want to align your company's internal and external image, you must know your employees' perceptions of the culture of your organization. To get an accurate perception, the easiest way is to ask employees. Anonymous surveys can get you the most candid and objective answers. Listed below are some questions you should ask yourself to understand your company's culture. To get started, download our free guide. And don't forget to share your findings with your employees!

Body language

One way to spot inauthentic behavior is to observe people's body language. This simple habit can indicate disinterest, distraction, or boredom. Some signs to look for include nail-biting, ankle-locking, or rapid blinking. Those displaying negative body language could be angry or stressed, while others may be bored. To determine inauthentic behavior, watch out for these signs, and try to be sensitive to the way others display their body language.

Using body language in business communications can be useful as nonlinguistic input. If done properly, it can guide a student toward the correct answer. When used correctly, it can complement verbal methods to communicate with others. In this article, Tai lists three common characteristics of effective body language. Read on to learn how to read these signals. Regardless of the situation, the aim is to improve communication in your organization through the use of body language.

Values

The values of a company are the bedrock of its culture. Employees should know what makes a company successful and act accordingly. Consequently, it is critical that values are well defined, woven into the organization's fabric, and are consistently communicated by leadership. When employees are aligned around a set of values, they tend to act in the best interest of the organization and exhibit discretionary work behavior. Here's how to develop a culture that will drive business success.

The first employees of a company create its culture and employer brand. Every decision and problem makes the culture of that company what it is today. Some brands think that new management will improve the culture, but a recent Glassdoor survey found that only 17% of companies rated their culture positively. That means companies with top-tier managers have a higher Culture & Values score. Meanwhile, those with poorer values tend to have flat or negative trends.

Work-life balance

How do you establish work-life balance in your company? The answer isn't as easy as it sounds. While working long hours and packing your life with meetings may seem appealing, work-life balance is much harder to achieve for many people. Reflecting on the questions may help you see the realistic situation and motivate yourself to create a work-life balance that works for you. Constantly demanding work will eventually take its toll on your body. Long hours can lead to weakened immune systems, fatigue, skin breakouts, and even difficulty sleeping.

Some questions can help you assess whether the company's work-life balance policies are reasonable. Ask how many hours a typical employee works. Do they work weekends and holidays? Are there any policies in place to support employee mental health? Does the workday conflict with your own personal priorities? If the company has policies in place to promote work-life balance, it's probably a good fit. If not, keep searching.

Meetings

High-performing companies have a meeting culture. The reason is simple: human interactions make business magic happen. Human interactions are empathetic and creative, and you can't measure it until it fails. In order to create a high-performing company culture, meetings need to foster meaningful collaboration among team members. Here are six tips for creating a meeting culture that works for your team. Let's start with a clear purpose for the meeting.

The purpose of meetings should be to make the team comfortable discussing change and plans. The discussion should also help them develop an understanding of the human aspect of the organization. They'll discuss how their work affects others and the culture. They'll discuss the interdepartmental and interpersonal relationships that come from their work. The meetings should also help them learn about the company's mission and values. In doing so, they'll be more likely to help the company grow as a whole.

Innovation

A strong innovation culture attracts creative thinkers and promotes calculated risks. But how do you create a company culture that promotes innovation? Consider these steps:

Start by identifying your mission. Do you want your company to be known for its products or services, or do you want to create a community where people enjoy coming to work? Take time to understand the mindset of your company's current customers and competitors. You must be willing to challenge your existing ways of doing business. Then, create an environment where people are encouraged to think outside the box. Be upfront with your team about what it takes to become innovative.

Beware of the pitfalls of a rigidly controlled innovation culture. While it's easy to like a culture that focuses on discipline and innovation, the truth is that it requires more than this. Innovators need a balance between tolerance and intolerance for incompetence, and they also need psychological safety and strong leadership. Innovation is a paradox, and you can't foster it without the leadership's support.