Richard Astle | NeQter Labs LLC founder and CEO
Company culture, especially in a startup, can be more important than pure experience. It helps ensure alignment of the entire team and establishes a set of values by which the organization is defined.
I have seen firsthand how culture can have a positive or negative impact on a company’s success. Only with a strong culture can an enterprise maintain its core identity.
Key components of good culture:
• Communication: While all companies need someone steering the ship, when it comes to communication, keeping a “flat” hierarchy supports and encourages input and feedback.
• Accountability: Common vision, shared responsibility and shared success are all important components of good culture. While each employee certainly has their own aspirations, they all must strive for a common goal. Establishing clearly defined goals and holding each team member accountable helps build respect within the team.
• No politics: The easier you make it for team members to do their jobs, the more productive they will be. Avoiding corporate bureaucracy for as long as possible will keep employees from getting discouraged and burned out.
• Fun: Great employees want to work for great companies. Establishing a fun environment makes employees want to come to work every day and do their best. Establishing fun as a core value not only helps retain the best employees but also helps to attract new ones.
One final thought:
• Look inward, project outward: Culture is not just the interaction between team members, but also how your team interacts with customers and partners.
