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A quick summary:
Every company needs a culture that works in the best interests of the team as a whole, and the individual. In today’s interconnected world it can be all too easy to get swept up in a flurry of emails and IMs. But that’s not really what’s going to get the very best out of the people who make up your business. Take a look at the 6 culture trends we’ve identified below…then think about how you can weave them into the fabric of your organisation.
Group meditation sessions work wonders
Sometimes it really does pay to take a break from the here and now. What better way to do that than meditation? It’s been practised all over the world for centuries because of the way it can provide rest and perspective...and it’s something that will work wonders in your company. Get everyone together once a week for just 15 minutes. You’ll be able to start a company habit that really gets the most out of people. Be positive about the benefits so you can win over the skeptics. Let everyone do it in their own way so they can find their own grounding points. It will help your staff stay healthy, and boost their productivity levels in no time!
Build breakout spaces where you can relax (when you are back in the office)
Breakout spaces are something that emerged from the likes of Google and Facebook over in Silicon Valley. They’re a great way of improving the dialogue within your team. If you want to improve communication, it’s not always about being constantly online. It’s about building relationships in the real world. Create a couple of spaces where people across all levels and departments will naturally sit and talk. You’ll be able to make so many more people feel comfortable approaching their colleagues. They’ll find out who’s got the skills they never knew were in the company. Who knows how to move projects along. And who has sparks of brilliance that go ignored within their own team.
Take the team away every year to really come together
If you take the breakout space idea one step further, you get to an annual team retreat. This is a great way to get everyone on the same page. And buying into your company’s philosophy. Take the time to find somewhere appropriate that people will actually want to go. Fill the days with activities that get people talking and brainstorming. It doesn’t all have to be focused on the quarterly sales and bottom line...in fact the less of that talk the better.
Incentivise your staff with more than just a pay increase
Why not have a monthly pizza lunch when you meet your sales targets? Or how about a quarterly non-uniform day just for the sake of it? It’s these little touches that give your staff something to look forward to. This shows you care right throughout the year. It’s all about trying to make your business a fun place to come. And work. So that people aren’t sat watching the clock at 2pm on a Friday afternoon. You want them racing to finish something before they leave. And you want them to feel like they’re valued and appreciated.
Start a company sports team
Company sports teams are great. And they work best when anybody of any ability can join. Find a local league you can compete in, and designate someone to take charge of sourcing some matching shirts. It’ll give you something to talk about in the office throughout the week. And you can even announce the results on the weekly internal newsletter. By getting some of your core staff to socialise with one another outside of work, you’re helping build the relationships that will remove departmental barriers.
Make hot-desking a lunchroom activity too
Last but not least, why not create a lunchroom hot-desking policy? See if you can persuade people to mix with other tables at lunch so they talk to more people throughout the day. Give a little thought to how you can do this in a soft and constructive manner. Rather than dictating how people spend their lunchtimes. You may not be able to get everyone on board right away. But if you can even get a few people to do it you’ll be moving things in a positive direction. Just think of it as a way to build your team’s communication skills. You’ll be on the right track.
Take these trends and run with them! They’ll make more of a difference to the bottom-line performance of your business than you might think. Perfect for seeing the results your hard work deserves.
