For entrepreneurs, the topic of culture is often relegated to the bottom of the priority list. Hey, shouldn’t there be a focus on the product, hiring the right people and getting enough funding?
That’s true. But culture is something that is critical for the long-term success of a company. If anything, it is the DNA that helps guide everyone. After all, Mark Zuckerberg often talks about his mission – to make a more connected world – that is essentially a reflection of his company’s culture.
Oh, and then there is Google. During the early days, the company set a mission to organize the world’s information.
OK then, what are some of the steps you can take when it comes to your company’s culture? What are the best-practices to keep in mind?
Well, to get some insight on this, I recently talked to Greg Besner, who is the founder and CEO of CultureIQ. The company, which has raised $5.25 million, operates a cloud platform to help companies strengthen their culture.
“Culture is how things get done in a company,” said Greg. “While it definitely is guided by formal policies, it’s also everything in between. It’s how employees communicate on and offline, it’s how you recognize and reward each other, it’s how you sit together in the office. The list goes on and on. Entrepreneurs typically set out to solve a problem. Your company culture is how employees in your company will work together to accomplish that goal.”
