Some Thoughts On Company Culture + Why It’s Important

I still remember being a small kid, dreading the day I would have to grow up and go to work. I’m not sure why I considered working to be horrible but, looking back, it was probably because I didn’t know anyone who went to work every day and enjoyed what they did. There is a chance that your experience was different and you had role models that worked all day long on something they were truly passionate about… if so, I’m jealous.

I only knew people who worked to make money so they could eat, pay bills, and keep a roof over their heads. Honestly, even if you had asked me a couple years ago what the sole purpose of working was, I would have told you the above; to eat, to pay bills, and to keep a roof over your head, but I’ve recently changed my way of thinking.

I got a job at a company that had excellent company culture.

What is company culture?

Company culture is the sum of an organization’s attitudes, ideals, and attributes. It can vary from company to company and what you think is good culture might not be someone else’s cup of tea. For example, one of my good friends looks for jobs that provide a “functional, professional, laid back team”. He has no interest in the fun stuff, as I like to call it. The Friday afternoon happy hours; the bring-your-kid-to-work-days; the random mental health days-off “just because”.

My best advice is to figure out what you want your ideal company culture to look like. This can be harder than you think and may evolve over time. That is fine, and even suggested! Things may seem ideal in theory, but in practice they’re just annoying or you find them to feel like a waste of time.

One thing is for sure, though. Company culture can come about one of two ways: cultivated on purpose or accumulated, over time, by accident.

Companies with a strong company culture — whether positive or negative — unknowingly set expectations for desired outcomes and behaviors. This means employees will, obliviously, act according to those expectations. This is why it’s so important to make sure a company has a positive environment that fosters excellent culture and collaboration.