Establishing a company culture begins with a clear vision of what your company values are. In an excerpt from his book, “Fueled by Failure,” entrepreneur Jeremy Bloom (@JeremyBloom11) highlights the main steps for accomplishing this. It’s a good plan to jot down a few core values that you want your team to uphold right from the start. Here are a few keystones of building a company culture that will sustain your team through the long haul.

1. Transparency

At our company, we go through key metrics with the whole team. We want all our employees to know the thinking, responsibilities and strategy so that they can share ideas and feedback. On Monday mornings we have our weekly meeting which is a great way to start the week off with a common sense of direction.

2. Time to disconnect

It’s just as important to disconnect as it it is to charge through. If you want employees to produce quality work, try to understand the work-life integration that exists for clear-thinking people.

3. Empowerment and a sense of freedom

Ever had a boss who honed in on every single task you were working on? Don’t be that boss. You empower people, not when you micro-manage them, but when you give them freedom to make up their own minds.

4. Physical Space

Although extroverts often get all the praise, introverts can be just as talented -- but they need a different set of tools. Open spaces are great for creating an intimate atmosphere, but consider the comfort levels of each person before deciding on your office space.

5. Talking to customers and employees

As a new business owner, you might spend a chunk of time at the beginning feeling lost. Keeping the lines of communication open between your employees and your customers is necessary to maintain relationships down the line. Make connections!

6. Your organizational design

Organizational design in the processes, structure and hierarchy you put into place to make sure all the pieces fit together. Knowing what the different departments are and how they are interlinked will help you guide your team to work efficiently together.

The type of company culture you create depends on who you are as a company and how you want people, on the inside and the outside, to perceive you. Invest in your culture by creating a place where people will want to come into every morning.  

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