8 Tips for a Positive Workplace Culture 

The idea of corporate culture, or workplace culture (which refers to the beliefs and behaviours that determine the way a company’s management and employees interact internally and externally with partners and clients), has been around since the 1970s. Whether organically or intentionally developed, workplace culture reflects a company’s ideology and practice, and affects every aspect of a business.  

In the past decade or so, the term has been thrust into the spotlight, as millennials and Gen Zs started entering the workforce. Companies are realising that this group of employees consider company culture as a factor in choosing a job, preferring one with a positive work environment over a higher salary. A positive workplace culture could be the deciding factor whether an employee chooses to remain with or leave the company.  

From the company’s viewpoint, a positive workplace culture translates to high company performance, by facilitating and enhancing satisfaction, motivation and productivity in the workplace.  

Here are some tips on how we can foster a positive workplace culture:  

1. Have a strong purpose and core values 

A clear purpose coupled with a common set of core values give employees a sense of belonging to the organisation. These should be more than just vision and mission statements on paper. Instead, they should be consistently embedded in the company’s actions.  

To get the message out to employees, explain how their individual tasks contribute to the company’s objectives. Knowing that the work they do is meaningful and makes a difference will motivate staff to continue doing good work.  

2. Communication/Feedback is key 

Effective communication is one of the cornerstones of fostering a positive workplace culture. When senior management and line managers make job expectations clear, employees know what is expected of them, and what they may, in turn, expect of the organisation. There are fewer opportunities for misunderstandings, and hence less dissatisfaction.  

This is especially important when there is organisational change. Whether you are in a start-up or an established organisation, change is always on the cards. When it happens, open and honest communication channels with organisational leadership allows key messages to be conveyed clearly. Staff feel more valued and engaged when their feedback and concerns are addressed. Examples of such channels could be staff suggestion boxes, townhalls, or walkabouts. These provide opportunities for senior leadership to hear directly from staff.  

Line managers should also provide regular feedback to staff, either through formal means (such as performance appraisals) or informal check-ins (like one-to-one chats). Establishing a culture of timely feedback also helps further reduce major errors as employees continuously learn and improve.  

Staff should also be able to give feedback about their work and the company. Constructive criticism is beneficial to companies, as it is one of the avenues for employers to identify and improve mechanisms or eliminate processes that are no longer relevant.   

3. Embrace failure and innovation 

A nurturing environment that has a positive view of experimentation and failure contributes to a positive workplace culture. Staff should not feel that they are walking a tightrope, or that they have little room for error.  

This is especially vital if your business depends on innovation. Staff must feel empowered and not fear failure. There is much to learn from failure and business models can be improved and built on previous failed iterations. In fact, being upfront about what works and what doesn’t, especially in the trial phase, opens channels for discussion and further troubleshooting. It also encourages staff to reflect and share their learning points with others. When staff are empowered to test bold, novel ideas, and share their failures without fear of being penalised, more can be achieved as lessons are learnt and prototypes improved. 

However, a distinction between failure and mistakes should be made. While failure is a part of the experimentation and innovation process, mistakes are a result of poor decisions, neglect, or wrong acts. Failures eventually lead to better solutions, while mistakes must be rectified, sometimes drastically, to prevent future occurrences.  

4. Embrace diversity and inclusivity 

One might think hiring people with similar values, beliefs, and ideas would make for a harmonious and positive workplace culture. However, this could result in a largely homogenous environment, which is not conducive for incubating innovation. Diversity and inclusivity across all categories – such as gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and disabilities – are critical to establishing positive work environments. Furthermore, the ideas, perspectives, and differences that each individual brings to the table as a result of their experiences and cultural backgrounds could translate to innovations or novel solutions for longstanding (or newly-identified) pain points!  

5. Encourage collaboration and teamwork 

While some tasks such as writing might be best done alone and without distractions, others benefit from teamwork. Through brainstorming and discussions, the team can decide on a course of action and work towards set objectives together. Individual team members feel supported and reassured when their efforts are validated by the rest of the team.  

Collaboration with other teams and colleagues also fosters better understanding of other aspects of the company that staff might otherwise not have the chance to learn about. This in turn encourages more empathy among colleagues. Further, the shared experience of working on the same project forges a stronger sense of belonging and camaraderie.  

6. Give due recognition  

Recognising good work is a tried and tested method of maintaining a positive workplace culture. It boosts staff morale and encourages employee engagement. 

A company should have a clear, transparent policy for career progression and promotion. Having a universal set of indicators in place gives staff the opportunity to measure their own performance against their peers. While encouraging healthy competition, negative emotions such as resentment within the team can be minimised, if not avoided.  

The little things also go a long way towards employee engagement. Short notes, small gifts, and praising staff at team meetings do not take require many resources but go a long way in making staff feel valued and appreciated. 

7. Highlight growth opportunities 

Besides wages, jobseekers also look for growth and development opportunities in an organisation. Providing staff with clear expectations for advancement and identifying the tools and training needed to help them get there are ways in which you can support your staff’s development.  

Other examples of growth and learning opportunities include on-the-job training programmes, industry-relevant certification or conferences, networking sessions, and peer-learning. These should be complemented by projects or assignments where staff can apply what they have learnt to their work, so that there is positive reinforcement and knowledge retention.  

8. Support mental well-being 

A positive workplace culture is one that supports its workers’ mental well-being. This is increasingly the case in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly one in three employees experiencing burnout symptoms in Asia, according to McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.  

Encouraging staff to focus on self-care, be it taking 10-minute breaks or some time off, clearly signals that the company values their mental health. These initiatives work best when senior leadership themselves walk the talk. Various initiatives implemented include no-meeting Fridays, flexible working hours, outcome-based work goals, and even designated organisation-wide mental health days, when work emails/calls are prohibited.  

The intention of these measures is to boost staff morale and productivity, and staff should not take unfair advantage of them. 

References 

Agarwal, Pragya. “How to Create a Positive Workplace Culture”. Forbes. Published 29 August 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/08/29/how-to-create-a-positive-work-place-culture/?sh=3e7f8ce04272 

Alton, Larry. “How Millenials are Reshaping What’s Important in Corporate Culture”. Forbes. Published 20 June 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryalton/2017/06/20/how-millennials-are-reshaping-whats-important-in-corporate-culture/?sh=1a7a32532dfb 

Brennan, Chris. “Ways to promote a positive workplace culture at your company”. Insperity. Accessed 29 November 2022, https://www.insperity.com/blog/6-ways-to-promote-a-positive-workplace-culture-at-your-company/ 

Cadieux, Michelle. “Company Values & Culture Proven to Engage Millennials in the Workplace”. Applauz. Accessed 29 November 2022, https://www.applauz.me/resources/company-values-culture-proven-to-engage-millenials-in-the-workplace 

Carmichael, Alistair, Coe, Ercia Hutchins, & Dewhurst, Martin. “Employee mental health and burnout in Asia: A time to act”. McKinsey and Company. Published 18 August 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-asia/employee-mental-health-and-burnout-in-asia-a-time-to-act 

Chetan, Theodora. “How to Create a Company Culture that Encourages and Withstands Failure”. Endava. Published 14 January 2020, https://www.endava.com/en/blog/Business/2020/How-to-create-a-culture-that-encourages-and-withstands-failure 

Deloitte Development LLC. “Core Beliefs and Culture: Chairman’s survey findings”. Published 2021, https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-core-beliefs-and-culture.pdf 

Evans, Ellie. “Cracking the Hybrid Work Culture Conundrum: How to Create a Strong Culture across a Workforce You May Never Even See.” Strategic HR Review 21, no. 2 (2022): 46–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr-12-2021-0065.  

Harney, Rebekah. “5 Characteristics of a Positive Workplace Culture”. LMBC. Published 1 February 2022, https://www.lbmc.com/blog/characteristics-positive-workplace-culture/ 

Kralova, Ursula. “Millenial Managers can Change Company Culture for the Better”. Harvard Business Review. Published 27 October 2021, https://hbr.org/2021/10/millennial-managers-can-change-company-culture-for-the-better 

Ramlall, Sunil J. “Enhancing Employee Performance through Positive Organizational Behavior.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38, no. 6 (2008): 1580–1600. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00360.x.  

RMIT Online. “Establishing a positive workplace culture: definition, tips & why it’s important”. Published 5 August 2020, https://studyonline.rmit.edu.au/blog/positive-workplace-culture 

Tarver, Evan. “Corporate Culture Definition: Characteristics and Importance Explained”. Investopedia. Updated 2 September 2021, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corporate-culture.asp 

Zimmerman, Eilene. “Baba Shiv: Failure is the Mother of Innovation”. Graduate School of Stanford Business. Published 2 March 2016, https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/baba-shiv-failure-mother-innovation