Your corporate culture plays a significant role in shaping the way people think, act and react in various situations. When it comes to work culture, it is important to have an innovative and creative team to come up with new ideas and solutions.
Not only does a company’s culture bring together its team members, it also has a huge impact on the level of innovation and productivity within the company. An inspiring company culture can help employees feel valued, encourage trust and collaboration, and create a working environment that supports innovation and creativity.
Read on for more insight into how corporate culture shapes individual behaviours and the ways people think, act, and react in different situations.
What is corporate culture?
A company’s culture is the collection of the values and behaviours that define the way people within the organisation behave and react in different situations. While some companies have a strong culture that dates back to their founding, many have created a culture that reflects the company’s current needs and challenges.
Corporate culture is made up of norms and values, which are individual behaviours that shape the way people think, act, and react in different situations.
It’s about creating a welcoming environment where people feel accepted, trusted, and motivated to perform at their best. A company culture that supports innovation and creativity is usually reflected in specific behaviours, such as how employees should greet one another, dress, and conduct themselves at work.
It can also be seen in how employees act in different situations, even down to what they notice, how they notice it, and how they make decisions.
You already have a culture
If you have a team, you already have a culture. It is inevitable. I’m not saying you have a good corporate culture, but you do have one. You can’t just change it by just stating you have a ‘new culture’ either. It takes a long time to evolve and become the idyllic culture that you are looking for.
The first step in evolving a company culture is to understand what you currently have. Watch how your employees interact with one another, how management (including yourself) behaves, and what the general mood is, day to day.
Ideally, you already display the signs of positive leadership and that you encourage transparency and good communication between the ranks and teams of the organisation.
How culture shapes behaviour and thought
Culture influences how people behave, which plays a role in how innovative and creative they are at work. All of this is based on norms and values. When working in an environment with a strong culture, employees are likely to notice more and pay closer attention to certain aspects of the environment.
This could mean that someone’s idea for an innovation comes to mind, or that a new solution for a problem presents itself.
Why is culture so important for innovation and creativity?
The workplace environment is often a place where ideas are tested and implemented. When employees feel safe and welcomed, they are more likely to share ideas, thoughts, and insights with one another. Without this safe environment, the risk of sharing ideas is too great and ideas are withheld in fear of rejection.
Team members may not feel comfortable sharing their ideas for fear of being negatively assessed, or feeling beyond the abilities of their colleagues. This inhibits creative thought, and prevents innovative solutions from being identified and implemented.
A strong corporate culture that supports innovation and creativity will encourage trust and collaboration, and help employees feel valued. This builds morale, encourages risk taking, and allows employees to experience the “aha!” moment when they identify a solution to a problem or a new way of doing things.
Creating a culture of creativity and innovation requires your employees to genuinely feel like they are a part of the direction and decision making that happens within the organisation.
These people will be affected by any changes within the business, so they should feel like they are encouraged to speak up and make suggestions about these changes, and they should be freely invited to submit their own creative ideas.
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3 tips for creating a culture that supports innovation and creativity
To support innovative and creative thought, a strong corporate culture that encourages innovation and creativity has these three things:
Build a safe and welcoming environment
A safe and welcoming environment promotes trust, promotes risk taking, and promotes creative thought processes.
You need to actively listen to your team. It is very important for you and all management to accept both positive and negative feedback from employees instead of being defensive about any complaints or negative remarks about the organisation or people.
Create a committed and supportive work environment
Create a supportive and committed work environment that encourages employees to take risks, challenge ideas, and identify innovative solutions. You can encourage this culture by offering tools and frequent formal and informal education, as well as being open for feedback from managers and employees at all levels.
Develop a culture of authenticity
A culture that supports innovation and creativity has a genuine spirit of authenticity.
These three elements will help you create an environment that supports innovation and creativity. While it might seem like a difficult task, with the right tools and strategies, it is possible.
And, once you do have the right culture, you will be able to reap the benefits of a positive culture that supports innovation and creativity.
Conclusion
Create a collaborative and open atmosphere from a company-wide level by encouraging your employees and teams to be open and genuine. You should opt to use meeting agenda examples that actively encourage transparency between employees and management.
A strong corporate culture that supports innovation and creativity is an ideal culture for most teams and organisations. It may not be an easy week-long project, however the effort you put in over the next twelve months (and longer) will have a big impact on employee mental health, physical health, creativity and organisational productivity and profits.
About the Author
Lauren Clarke lives in Sydney and enjoys live theatre, red wine and bush walking, not normally all at the same time. She writes for the Stockphoto.com blog as well as other websites and media outlets.