4 Steps For Improving Company Culture In 2021 To succeed in business post-2020, create a more closely knit bond between employees and employers.
By Luis Jorge Rios •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In only a year, Covid-19 has completely changed the way we live and work. Several industries have been disrupted and forced to pivot their services. In the same vein, new service categories have emerged. However, one thing has stayed constant.
Many people would argue that the logistics industry has proven to be an anomaly in this pandemic. As people have been bound to their homes, delivery demand has skyrocketed and carriers have seen more business than ever before. Nevertheless, this industry is no different from any of the others. As the pandemic has successfully flipped the narrative, smaller companies now find themselves in a vantage position within the market. With this new access to a larger customer base, the pressure to quite literally deliver is also rising. One way to achieve this is by improving the internal company culture.
Here are four essential steps that can help both newcomer and veteran brands improve their company culture as we move through 2021 and, hopefully, the final stages of our battle with the virus.
1. Defining a company identity
Many companies exist without proper branding, particularly in the service market. Take the logistics industry. After noticing this lack of unique identity in logistics company ArdentX, co-founder Connor Miller decided to encode a definite set of values that would be associated with ArdentX, like their "insane work ethic."
As journalist Kate Heinz advised in a recent article for Built In, "Core values are very important to your culture and your success as an organization, so ensure they are upheld by every member of your team. Holding all employees to the same set of standards will foster an open culture based on equality. This will also help promote your core values across all departments so they become ingrained in your culture."
Related: Company Culture Is Everything
2. Holding upper-management accountable
The quality of executive management is one of the most critical components of a company's success. Company leaders are responsible for steering the business in the direction of growth, innovation and sustainability.
3. Conducting exit interviews
Employees will inevitably want to leave the company. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including better opportunities, a career change or further education. Employee turnover has always been approached as an inherently bad thing. However, the event of staff leaving your company can be an opportunity for growth.
4. Always communicate
In many companies, communication is a one-way stream that only flows downward from management to the team. In situations like this, employees rarely feel as if they have a voice to communicate ongoing events within their team, nor do they feel the need to. In a healthy company, everybody's always talking. Managers are always asking, "What do you think about that? Is it a good idea? How would you do it differently?" They want to hear people's opinions, no matter what they are.
Related: 5 Business Survival Tips for 2021
Developing a solid company structure will strengthen your brand's customer connection. Making this investment will inevitably drive visible results in your company's downline, and even more in light of current events.
