We can all agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything in the way we live, socialize, interact, communicate, and work. With a majority of companies moving away from the offices, nothing took a greater hit than organizational culture.

And in these times, it is almost impossible for leaders to provide the same guidance to their employees, even when their team communication strategy is impeccable. It is now time to re-think, reshape, and re-create the very nature of the organizational culture. 

It’s time to act

We are here to help by providing a few ideas that will aid in this endeavor. So if you are wondering how to keep your organizational culture alive through the pandemic, here is our answer in a few points.

Value your people

These are the times when we realize how important people around us really are. Staying away from them for months makes most of us think of the importance others are having in our lives.

We realize how connected we are to each of our co-workers, employees, employers, clients, and everyone else we were used to having around daily. Therefore, you see why it’s important to place mutual care and respect at the core of your organizational culture. Treat employees like your most valuable resource, because that’s exactly what they are! 

Promote your values

Company culture is strongly correlated to the shared values of the people working there, employees and management alike. People are more likely to come together around an idea. A greater cause keeps their motivation up and pushes them to get out of the bed in the morning.

Take advantage of that and articulate your values loud and clear, reminding your employees and clients what you are all standing for. This is what shapes your organizational culture.

Lead by example

Leaders have a great influence on company culture. Their behavior is observed and often replicated by those who are looking up to them. During these times of uncertainty, people are expecting guidance more than ever. And that’s not an easy thing to accomplish behind a screen. 

As a leader, you need to take action, keep yourself in the loop, and solve any problem at the very moment you become aware of it. It is time to be proactive more than ever and show people that progress can still be made. This is not a time to lower the bar, but place it even higher by inciting yourself and your people to succeed despite all the hardship. 

Communication is a mirror

Encouraging people to bond and create connections will help them communicate more effectively and become more productive individually and as a team. 

During these times, using reliable team collaboration software is crucial. Keep your organizational culture alive in the virtual world by establishing communication rules in accordance to your main values. 

For example, if your leadership is more horizontal and team dynamics are relaxed, you will probably allow people to exchange more than work information. Sharing personal stories and pictures, funny gifs, and videos, can create closer relationships between co-workers and help them work better together. 

However, if you are running a company that values authority and promotes competition, your team communications will most likely reflect that by being kept strictly professional.

There is not a right or a wrong model here. Just keep in mind that your team communication is a mirror to your company culture. Make sure it reflects the image you expect to see.

Bring in good fits

Bring more employees, keep training old ones, encourage them to acquire new skills. With everything changing so fast, it’s important to keep up and be able to adapt and find out-of-the-box solutions. 

Make sure your new employees fit the culture of your company before bringing them in. Not everyone who has great skills and qualifications is necessarily a good fit for your team. Make sure you include your organizational culture, your values, goals, and plans for the future in the onboarding process of your company. 

Decide and redecide

The decisions you are making now when everyone is reinventing themselves show who you are and who you will become. It is time to take a good look at your organizational culture and decide whether it aligns with your core values. If you consider there is something that needs to change, this is the perfect moment to correct it.

With everything changing so fast around us, everyone has become more resilient. We are more adaptable to change, especially when that change is for the better. There couldn’t be a better moment to decide on a different approach and move things in the direction you’re willing to follow. 

Organizational culture is an asset

Your organizational culture is an asset that can be leveraged to offer you a competitive advantage over your competition. It is what differentiates you from others. When the skills and performance levels are similar to those of your competitors, this is what makes you unique.

Culture is what offers your company a personality and character, which attracts clients and partners with similar views and values. And let’s not forget that your company culture is something only you can bring to the table. Use that in negotiations, in attracting new clients, partners, and workforce.