Startup culture is rather termed a clan culture. It is characterized by free-flowing creativity, flexibility, open communication, and a horizontal leadership structure. It resembles a ‘single, large, happy family’. People are considered to be the priority, ranging from customers to employees. However, perks are not regarded as culture.
5 startup culture ideas to follow
Developing a culture in a new startup does require proper planning. Following a few ideas provided by industry experts can help your startup develop a successful and long-lasting culture.
1. Define core values
Establish properly your company’s mission and team goals, how you expect your employees to behave, how to help customers, etc. Such aspects should rather be part of your core values and well-defined. Customize values to suit your company’s mission.
Expectations set on how to conduct your business and employee behavior should be aligned with your company’s broader strategies. Defining core values is crucial to developing a positive, strong work culture as well as maintaining it while growing. Develop a positive, strong work culture and value both bad and good past work experiences.
2. Establish startup vision
Without establishing proper mission, success cannot be achieved. You will be merely asking people to fund your project. Identify how you plan to impact society, benefit consumers, and what exactly sets your startup apart from your competitors. You need to develop a detailed mission that is concise and clear.
It should define your organizational role, how to conduct business, and your importance. It is important to establish the company’s mission before its launch and before hiring the first employee. It is from here that startup culture If unprepared, it is likely to veer off course.
3. Communicate clearly values and mission
Without having a better understanding of things, you cannot expect your employees to make positive contributions. Train your members on core values and your mission. Every team member should realize what is expected from them and why they matter a lot to the company. By providing meaning, your employees will understand the significance of following values as well as incentivize positive behavior. Mission-driven, cohesive culture is possible through broader goals that can be reached by knowing every action.
4. Hire cautiously
As a startup, it is quite natural to have low funds. You will not be able to hire expensive professionals. But this does not mean you can hire just about anyone. Every team member in your startup should play an important role in developing and promoting culture. Hence, you need to select candidates wisely not only by looking at their core skills and expertise but also at cultural relevance.
Consider hiring candidates who believe in your values, and mission and are passionate about doing their assigned work. Hire candidates who can easily merge into your culture while providing your team with unique perspectives and experiences. Employing people from diverse backgrounds will help your team to gain new ideas, thereby propelling forward your business.
5. Lead by example
It is leaders who set cultures, while HR monitors it and employees maintain it. But establishing a mission statement and values is just half the battle won. The other aspect is to model the desired behaviors. Culture is not meant to be established and then forgotten. Rather, it should evolve continuously to reflect your business.
Reinforce mission-driven culture and value-based actions by embodying continuously the core values that were established at the start. This will encourage your team members to exhibit the same behavior while developing strong trust between leadership and employees. Lack of trust only generates toxicity, thereby resulting in bad company culture.
Implementing the above startup culture ideas in your business will allow you to develop a powerful business.
