Establishing a strong company culture is absolutely necessary in the modern workplace. One way that you can create a culture is to encourage a strong sense of pride and community. Infusing creative and compelling ideas into the plan is a useful practice for motivating and inspiring employees. Here are 5 ways to foster company pride and community in your workplace.
1. Develop Teams
In a larger company, in particular, having a sense of community can seem difficult because employees are often separated from one another by department or responsibilities. Developing teams is a way to motivate greater closeness among employees who are working on similar projects and tasks. Bringing the teams together for meetings on occasion can help everyone to see how they are part of a larger and unified whole.
2. Opt for Dress-Down Days
Most people love the opportunity to throw on a comfortable pair of jeans for work, so think about implementing a dress-down day each week or month. You could also get your employees custom team logo apparel for them to wear when the business hosts special sales, or you could ask your employees to come to work dressed in costumes to celebrate Halloween.
3. Plan Social Events
Regardless of how casual the workplace is, employees can sometimes feel as though they are stuck in a routine. They may race by other coworkers because they are harried and eager to get on to the next task. Planning social events where your employees can casually get to know one another and engage in recreational activities can boost morale and the sense of community.
4. Volunteer
When your employees go out to volunteer with one another, a strong sense of pride and community is virtually guaranteed to follow. What you can do is start by looking for opportunities in the surrounding neighborhoods for volunteer work. The SmartBiz Loans team actively participates in the community. They’ve planted trees, organized giveaways to those in need, and worked with Meals on Wheels. This has helped SmartBiz employees remember that they are all contributing members of the larger San Francisco community.
5. Ask for Feedback
Another way to bolster the sense of community is to show that you value the opinions and thoughts of your employees. Asking for feedback on certain tasks, such as the compilation of a new manual, can remind employees that they are important, and this can help them to feel respected and valued.
Pride and community are two seriously important words when it comes to the workplace. Using these strategies, you can bolster both of these qualities at your job, and improve the sense of camaraderie and company culture.
About the Author
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
