Maintaining the culture of your company as it grows is as important as the growth itself. The culture may change with the times and at times while the company grows, its culture may seem to be suffering. This is the time for you to harness the concepts of the culture you have worked hard to achieve and make it even stronger.

Many company leaders know they have a culture, but not every leader realizes the culture needs to grow with their company. They also may fail to realize how important their company’s culture is to the growth of their company.

Your Company’s Heart and Soul

Company culture and growth is the heart and soul of your company. But what is company culture? You may have never thought of company culture in the terms of it being a living and breathing part of your organization. Company culture is both a noun and a verb. As a noun – it surely qualifies as a person/place or thing. As a verb – it is a moving piece – action packed. Company culture moves and changes with the times – and the most important and critical time for it to change and grow is when the company itself changes and grows.

Keeping Company Culture Positive in a Time of Growth

If the leaders of a company don’t understand or don’t care about the culture in their company, these companies either fail or their leaders do. There are ways to keep your company’s culture moving in the same direction as its growth. Some of the culture’s change will come automatically. There are some areas that will need to be addressed as the number of employees increase and more and/or different types of projects are taken on.

A number of changes that take place as a company grows have a specific impact on the company culture and growth. Sometimes company growth is rapid and you may not be prepared for the changes growth brings.

Automation

Company growth is often achieved by automating or even outsourcing work. Though automation is a common way for a company to grow, it can have a negative perception on a culture. Automating or outsourcing work sometimes leads to layoffs and can wreak havoc on a company’s culture unless it is managed with fairness, dignity and tact.

One negative comment is heard many more times than 50 positive comments. A culture that embraces change through progress can be represented in a positive manner during drastic company changes such as layoffs due to automation or outsourcing.

New Technology

With new technology, a company may find itself in a situation where many long-time employees want to take early retirement or decide they aren’t willing to learn new systems. A company’s culture and values need to be front and center when it comes to letting long-time employees leave and bringing on their replacements.

Harnessing the Power of Your Company Culture

Communication is key during company growth. Company culture and growth can be a positive experience as long as there is open and honest communication. New-hires must be aware of the values and culture of the company they are joining. Current employees need to be reassured that the company culture and growth will be good for them, as well as for the future of the company.

How you recognize your employees’ achievements and the ways they contribute to your organization should always be an important piece of your company’s culture. Everyone likes to feel that they matter. Whether it be an acknowledgement of a birthday or other important milestones in your employees’ lives, to something out of the ordinary they have done to help the company, recognition helps them to feel appreciated which fosters employee engagement and loyalty.

Culture isn’t a stand-alone entity, it is a way to conduct business. A successful company openly shares their values and culture with their employees, customers and clients. A successful company has a culture that is as recognized as its name.