Company, culture and communication
My son asked me why we celebrate holidays. I explained to him that as social beings, we naturally need to mark significant occasions in our community and that our behavior and customs, whether daily or on special events, shape our culture.
My son asked me why we celebrate holidays. I explained to him that as social beings, we naturally need to mark significant occasions in our community and that our behavior and customs, whether daily or on special events, shape our culture.
Culture gives us a sense of belonging and helps shape our values as individuals in a community. This also relates to organizations, where the behavior of its members defines the culture.
Many studies deal with how organizational culture is formed, whether from the top down, from the bottom up, through the effects of the market or external social trends, regulations of various kinds, or a little bit of everything.
Organizational culture relates also to the communication and processes between all parties. Every word from a manager to an employee conveys a message that could be perceived differently if said differently. Working on communication in organizations is extremely important for optimizing processes, retaining employees, avoiding mistakes, successful onboarding, giving feedback, and more.
We sometimes forget that without communication, we would not have been able to develop as humans, protect the tribe, build homes, perform agriculture, develop medicine, and reach advanced humanity. Communication is the fundamental element within an organization, and it is related to all internal organizational processes and, of course, to customers.
Picture a workplace where communication ceases for a day. People can perform specific tasks, but after a while, errors, confusion, and frustration arise.
An organization needs healthy communication, defined processes, openness to cultural differences, introspection, recognition of the organization as a living entity, and constant adaptation to changes.
How to get there? By examining both the big picture and the details. For instance, looking at the company’s goals and market, as well as the management skills, checking how individuals within the organization feel, and reviewing the processes between them. This process should be organized and detailed, considering all elements, and customized to the company.
Given that the company is an entity, you must treat it this way, from the micro to the macro and back, while checking for ways to improve efficiency.
With a well-defined model that is adaptable to changes and considering the company culture, you’ll hopefully be able to celebrate many more company events together.