Workplace culture is a "hot" and important subject in today's world.  Companies are grappling with the fact that their workplace cultures are truly unhealthy.  

However, many people (including leaders) have major misconceptions about what constitutes "workplace culture" and whether (or how) it can be altered.

Often these misconceptions include: a) Individuals within the organization give up trying to improve the culture because they see the situation as hopeless; b) they want to make a difference but don't know where to begin; or c) their attempts to change the culture are so misguided that their efforts are completely wasted.

Dispelling Top Workplace Culture Misconceptions

In a broad sense, workplace culture refers to the organization's personality. The values, beliefs, and attitudes of the company define its culture. However, every company's culture varies based on its goals and objectives. Every stakeholder in the company is responsible individually and collectively for perceiving and contributing to its culture. 

Let’s find the truth behind some common myths:

1. Workplace culture, once defined, can't be changed

The core business values form the foundation of company culture. It defines the expected behavior of its employees. However, as the employees and company evolve, the values and culture must change accordingly. Values need not be static. The company values must also change with changing workforce, varying audiences, and evolving target market. Leaders should not hesitate to change the culture based on business evolution and market changes. 

2. Talking about workplace culture is the same as building it

While encouraging dialogue about workplace culture is crucial, talking without acting is futile. Creating attractive posters and expecting employees to follow policies and strategies without implementation efforts will not change the core values. To reinforce an inclusive workplace culture, employers, leaders, and employees must be involved in implementing the best practices. Leaders must ensure that the people understand and get involved in the workplace culture through their behavior, practices, and processes.

3. Total restart is the only way to revamp the organizational culture

Many leaders hesitate to change workplace culture because they believe the only option is a total restart. It takes significant effort, time, and money to reorganize and reformulate the organization. A total restart will bring about a massive improvement in workplace culture, but it doesn't mean it is always necessary. In order to create a healthy and caring workplace culture, there is no need to amputate major parts of the company. 

4. Office perks are enough to satisfy employees

Employee perks and benefits are crucial for employee satisfaction. However, that is not enough.One can't win employee loyalty by giving away a gift voucher or a wellness class. Comprehensive benefits show that the company has a caring culture. However, a humane approach to solving employee problems should form the basis of a positive workplace culture. The leaders must pay attention to the individual needs of employees and offer benefits that satisfy their needs. Winning company culture will offer benefits and perks that the employees will truly appreciate. 

5. A great team will automatically result in a great company culture

Many businesses believe that they will automatically build a strong company culture when they have a strong team with sufficient resources and great products. While a good team is critical to business success, a caring culture can be implemented only when communication and behavior are transparent. Unless leaders deliberately build trust, communication, and transparency to improve workplace culture, the business will fail even with a great product. 

Roadmap to Revolutionising company culture 

90% of the employees who think their company culture is poor want to quit. If a company wants to create a winning work culture, the first step the leaders must take is to empower people. Changing individual behavior, including C-level executives, managers, supervisors, and employees, by encouraging them to take responsibility will result in small but consistent changes in collective behavior.

Leaders must also streamline communication patterns, decision-making, and daily processing to define a structure for organizational behavior. To establish a healthy workplace culture, company values, priorities, and missions must be clearly stated and explained to all stakeholders. 

While focusing on individual behaviors, leaders should not forget the importance of collective values. Establishing a strong workplace community with inclusive traditions and rituals will make everyone feel welcome.

Find new possibilities of creating a winning workplace culture with Batik

Batik enables employers to establish adaptable, empathetic, and honest workplace culture by empowering employees to choose the employee benefits and perks they need. 

Such transparency and willingness to provide for employees sends a clear message that employers care about their employees and motivates employees to set the tone for a winning work culture.