Company culture is one of the most important things to implement within a company from the very beginning. It is the overall beliefs and behaviors of all the company’s employees. Effective leadership within an organization is crucial, but most important is the ability to create a positive work environment, especially in the nonprofit sector. Creating the right culture starts as early as the company foundation stage. To give a few examples of best practices for good organizational culture can prove to be beneficial in the long run if leadership promotes fun events, job appraisals when deserved, celebrations and positive reinforcement.
1. Fun events:
Hosting fun events at work can be very advantageous for nonprofits. This could not only help fundraise for their company but also is a way for employees to come together and build connections with one another. Employees care about the nonprofit but also want to feel valued. Through fun organizational events, leadership can help promote personal and professional growth which will in turn improve the work performance.
2. Job appraisals:
Nonprofits tend to have employees who work for long hours each day. These employees put in a lot of effort to make their company successful regardless of the pay structure, as they work toward something they are passionate about. In such situations, leadership who praises and finds other non-monetary ways to show appreciation would boost employee spirits and generate enthusiasm.
3. Celebrations:
Long hours of work each day could be challenging sometimes, and so it is vital that the leadership in nonprofits celebrate the small successes of its employees. By doing this, the employee morale would improve and so would their loyalty toward the organization.
4. Positive reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement can be beneficial not only during recruiting employees but also while trying to retain them for long periods of time. It is statistically proven that the better the company culture, the more satisfied employees are with their jobs. The more the employers invest in the overall well-being of the workers, the more dedicated and motivated the employees will be.
5. Company mission, and vision and values:
The company’s mission, vision and values bring the nonprofit’s core values together. These organizational beliefs are very important to the employees as they work toward a common passion in order to do greater good for the community. Company mission, vision and values create clarity to help make crucial decisions within the organization, and when everyone buys in to those foundational beliefs, it brings clarity to the work and more significance for the employees in the long run.
Remembering these five tips of maintaining a positive organizational culture where employees feel welcomed and heard is a good first step to keeping it positive within your nonprofit. Such an environment is ideal and can help make a difference in the long run.