Some business owners and CEOs have used COVID-19 downtime as a time of reflection. Periodically taking a long, clear look at company operations is often beneficial anyway. In addition to profits and expenses, take a few minutes to consider whether it is time to improve your company’s culture. Your corporate counsel may be able to help.
What does ‘company culture’ really mean?
The definition can vary, but company culture usually refers to an organization’s “strongly held and widely shared set of beliefs that are supported by strategy and structure.” It may also be called a company’s ‘personality.’
Your company’s culture may affect some or all of the following elements:
- Work environment. Your workplace could be formal or very casual. This element may be dictated in part by the type of business you operate. For example, a law firm typically has a more formal workplace than a coffee shop.
- Mission. Your company may adhere strictly to your mission statement as part of your company culture. Another example could be how your company handles volunteerism. Some companies might participate in charities as teams or as a company-wide event.
- Ethics. Do your workers understand policies regarding ethics? Are upper-level management role models for ethical behavior?
- Goals. Every business has goals. Your company culture may include sharing goals with employees or even seeking suggestions from workers.
- Expectations. Part of your company culture includes what you expect from your employees – and whether they are aware of those expectations.
Almost any factor that affects your company’s operations could be considered part of the company culture. Keep in mind that some of the elements mentioned above may be regulated by laws. Your corporate counsel can help you navigate rules, regulations, and laws to ensure full compliance.
What kind of changes could you make?
That depends on where your culture is now and how it meets your expectations.
Perhaps your company previously required employees to work in the office only. During the COVID-19 shutdown, you may have allowed employees to telecommute instead. Is the work still getting done? Are employees just as productive or even more productive? If working from home was a positive experience for your company, maybe it is time to change the work environment part of your company culture.
A good review of your policies and procedures might uncover other issues. For example, policies regarding ethics might be weak, and employees do not follow them anyway. This may be the time to change your company’s culture regarding ethics. Your business lawyer may help you with internal reviews of your current policies and procedures.
You also may find that goals and expectations need to be adjusted as your company recovers from the COVID-19 shut down.
Is this a good time to improve your company’s culture?
That’s up to you. After all, you know your company better than anyone. However, some organizations recommend that companies routinely assess their culture to make sure it still meets the company’s needs.
Attorney Richard Sierra at the Florida Small Business Center assists clients like you with business and litigation matters. As always, Our Goal Is to Help You Succeed™. For an appointment, you may call us at 1-866-842-5202 or use the contact form on our website. We represent clients throughout the State of Florida, including Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Deerfield Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Orlando, Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, and surrounding communities.