Posted by Arielle
“Where do you begin on how to develop cultural beliefs that fit your workplace?”
That’s the number one question you need to ask yourself as a business owner.
How would you describe the foundation of all this success when given a chance to talk about your company, employees, and impacts? Success doesn’t happen within a single night; it takes time to foster and achieve.
Great companies don’t owe their success to the profits made, the roster of clients they boast, or even how long they have been in business. Instead, what determines why a company delivers incredible work lies in the cultural beliefs that have guided them since the beginning and that they continue to implement those beliefs.
Whether you’re an agency for digital marketing, an outline marketing company, or own many ad agencies, every well-intentioned business owner can agree that creating meaningful cultural beliefs drives their vision and work ethic for the organization for years to come.
The definition of a cultural belief:
Cultural beliefs are the guiding principles of your company; a reflection of what you stand for and practice every day for peak performance and outcome; they define the identity clients and prospective connections associate with you. Most of all, cultural beliefs should be values you are proud of upholding.
Where does one go about when creating cultural beliefs that fit the workplace?
That depends. The process is different for everyone because each business has specific goals. For example, you could set out to provide SEO as a service in Temecula, offer social media marketing for companies in Orange County and the Inland Empire, or can deliver a superior branding strategy for a client’s email marketing campaign, nationwide.
Be honest with what you value, but understand that those ambitions and hope affect all parties involved. For example, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing financial success and profit. Still, if you seek that goal but neglect how this impacts the well-being of your employees, you foster a work environment that does not value or take care of its employees. Therefore, you need to ask yourself important questions such as, “Is pursuing financial success over considering the well-being of my employees worth it in the long run?”. Then, as time goes on with trial and error, you realize where your cultural beliefs should indeed lie.
The consequence of not having foundational cultural beliefs is more dire than you think.
You’re flying blind if your company doesn’t uphold any cultural beliefs or maintain a structure of values. In other words, business conducted is unpredictable, and each day is a gamble for loss and risk of turnover. While running a business is definitely a gamble, it needs to be grounded in itself and have a clear path moving forward. Regardless of having five or ten cultural beliefs, they all must be respected and implemented equally. Think of how you can always have more strengths in your company!
What cultural beliefs mean to us at Pulse Marketing:
At Pulse Marketing, our cultural beliefs mean everything to us. We implement them across the company’s performance and services, instill them in our employees and treat one another and allow them to guide us to make the best decisions that positively affect management, employees, and clients and bring long-term value. Besides that, we genuinely care about everyone involved. We’re all people at the end of the day and life is too short to not treat the people you trust and care for, well.
Here are our recommendations on how to develop your cultural beliefs:
First, start with answering your “why.”
Your “why” is why you decided to spearhead a company and pursue the goals that propel you forward. Building a business from the ground up and achieving success takes time; there’s a process and series of steps to get to your milestones. Besides your goals, think of the types of people you want to work alongside, the clients you want to help, and the impacts you hope to make.
Think about the type of work environment you want to have.
Great work environments do not happen; they need to be taught and implemented by all parties involved. You can’t expect everyone to be decent or communicative to one another; you have to teach others that and not compromise.
Prioritize the well-being of your employees.
The most essential and invaluable asset of your company is the employees. Without them, your business would not succeed. Great people do great work. So don’t compromise on creating a cultural belief that values employees and the efforts they put forth for you and the company.
Don’t make exceptions when you know specific actions will compromise your cultural beliefs.
There will be times in business where you feel like you must compromise on a cultural belief because of a situation–maybe you’re about to lose a client or feel like you’re in a tight spot that would negatively affect an employee. Regardless of the circumstance, never compromise your cultural beliefs as a short-term fix. If you make an exception for a single moment, you will do it again in the future–perhaps, even for something larger.
Know that cultural beliefs can continuously be improved upon and change over time.
Cultural beliefs change just like people do, which is not a bad thing. However, what may have worked for you in the past no longer has a place in the present. Don’t see this as a hindrance or defeat; see it as an opportunity to make things better in your company.
Be inclusive and empathetic.
Every employee and client comes from different backgrounds and walks of life, so it’s essential to consider that when putting together your cultural beliefs. Frame your cultural beliefs in a framework that considers others, not just you or the clients’ needs. If you’re unsure about how to go about being more inclusive, open up the conversation with your workplace and encourage your employees to speak their opinions on inclusivity and diversity and opportunities for growth and change.
Base your mission statement and vision on your cultural beliefs.
Your cultural beliefs are integral to your company’s success and cover a comprehensive overview of what will define your success in the future. You determine your cultural beliefs and how they will stand the test of time in the company. You lead by example, so make it a good one!