One of the most important rules in running a business is valuing people – whether they are your employees or customers. If you treat your customers with respect and care, they are likely to continue using your services. The same goes for workers. You can’t have a motivated workforce without values and principles. As a manager or business owner, it’s your duty to create a culture that fosters cooperation, support, and equal opportunities for leadership positions. Here are few tips on how you can do that:

1. Don’t Let Conflicts Get Worse

The best way to influence company culture is to act fast and wisely. Whenever you see a disagreement between two employees, intervene, and find a good solution, involving both parties. Sit down with the employees and ask them to tell you their problem one at a time. The reason why most fights end badly is because both sides never want to listen to each other. By allowing both parties to express themselves without interrupting each other, you solve the dispute quickly. Always remember that such situations are opportunities for positive change. Your employees will learn from you, and they’ll do the same for colleagues. 

2. Learn to Trust your Employees

As much as you’d like to know everything that goes on in your business, it’s not possible. This is because every department has its intricacies, and you can’t be in two different places at the same time. Running a business requires focus. That’s why you hire competent people to take charge of those departments. You should encourage all your employees to be responsible and treat the business as theirs. Let them know that you trust them to make the right decisions for the firm. When you do that, you get a motivated workforce that is likely to rank highly on the employee net promoter score. In other words, you create a culture of responsibility. 

3. Get Rid of Hierarchies

It has always been the tradition that management sits on a different floor from the rest of the workers. The problem with this kind of setting is that it limits communication and flow of good ideas. Low level workers feel detached from the management and can’t openly tell them what they feel or think. If you want to improve your company’s culture, get rid of hierarchies and allow the management and low level staff to sit on the same floor. You can go for an open plan office layout. That way, you instill a culture of openness and cooperation.

4. Flexibility

There are times when the office area can feel so full and exhausting. This can happen because you’ve been in the office for a long time. As the owner of the business, you can leave the office for a little walk and come back later. You should learn to give your employees the same level of freedom and flexibility. Since you trust your workers, you’ve to listen to them. If they tell you that they have a family appointment, you can let them leave work early. Alternatively, you can also allow others to work from home, especially if they have a child. Creating a flexible work environment allows employees to let off steam and regain focus. 

5. Team Work 

You have to remember that your employees are better off working as a unit to meet company goals. Team work enables the work to be completed much faster and on time. Encourage your employees to share ideas with one another and work together to solve common problems. You can also foster teamwork by creating a lounge area with all the necessary amenities for employees to mingle freely. 

If you want your employees to be always motivated and ready to work, you have to create a good company culture. Use the above tips to know which areas you should focus on. As you implement some of the strategies, make sure that you involve your employees in the idea formulation stage for a better response.