How to nail great culture in a small business – Part 2

cultural

In the first of this two-part post, we looked at making culture part of your business strategy from day one and the importance of leading by example. Here we explore embracing new team members, evolving culture as you grow and the importance of saying “thank you”.

Embrace new team members

From the recruitment process right through to workplace inductions, be mindful of your culture.

Small businesses generally can’t offer wages to compete with the big guys, so they need a compelling offer to hire the best and brightest.

At Bonjoro, the way we behave as a team attracts others to our cause, and as each of us shares stories with our individual networks, interest in our business grows

Once onboard, make sure every new member is integrated into the wider team with consideration and care. Our team is split between Australia, the UK and America, so we focus on making sure every hire gets to know everyone else through Skype, Slack and, of course, video messages. Then we fly them out to Sydney for beers asap!

You already know your new team members will be a good cultural fit, otherwise, you wouldn’t have hired them; so make sure they understand how things run from the outset. Provide an induction session, take them out for lunch, give them a buddy to show them the ropes, and don’t skip the process. A few hours upfront will save you time and money down the line.

Don’t fixate on where you started

All small businesses have to grow, and their cultures have to grow with them. The early days may be special, but trying to hold on to them can cause problems in the present, and upset the opportunity to scale. The trick is to retain your core values while remaining flexible enough to prosper.

Work with your team to evolve and develop your culture as you grow. You’ve employed your team for a reason, so ask them their opinion. What is working? What could be done better? Involve your team in brainstorming and business planning, and they will feel listened to and be more invested in the company, which leads to a more positive workplace environment.

For small teams, innovation is a synonym for survival. You have to do things in a different way to compete with the dominant players. You move fast, you iterate, or you die. The easiest way to guarantee a steady stream of new ideas is to have team members talk to each other and feel comfortable expressing themselves. This is only possible in a trusting, close-knit environment. When you can keep this as a core attitude for as long as possible, great things happen as you grow.

Don’t forget to say thank you

“Thank you” is a phrase not used enough in the business environment. Whether you’re a bootstrapping startup or a corporation made up of thousands of people, nurturing connections is vital. But even though we depend on them every day, we don’t always give our business partners the attention they deserve.

That’s why we made #ThankYouThursdays a regular feature of our culture at Bonjoro. Every Thursday we send a personalised video message to customers, friends and team members that we want to show gratitude to.

So take the time out to regularly say “thank you” to your important team members and encourage them to do the same. After all, gratitude is essential to any relationship.

Matt Barnett, Founder and “Papa Bear”, Bonjoro