With a Look Inside the Culture at PeakActivity
What Does a Positive Culture Look Like?
Some people are surprised to find out that positive workplaces do exist. If you’re someone who’s unfamiliar with what they look like, let us paint a picture of that elusive positive workplace culture for you.
Trust / Support
Trust in leadership and trust in employees can be found in positive cultures, and should not be underestimated. When employees know that their managers and/or teammates have their back, it provides the support needed for creativity and risks. And when employees face challenges such as accidents, illnesses, or personal tragedies, an understanding and supportive work environment can help ease anxiety and reinforce commitment.
Confidence / Pride
A positive workplace culture can sometimes be identified by the amount of confidence and pride that employees show for their job or company. In a positive environment, leaders have confidence in their team’s abilities and, likewise, employees have confidence in their leader’s direction.
Productivity / Engagement
It’s no secret that a positive workplace environment is a productive one. In a negative environment, employees don’t want to come to work; but in a positive environment, employees are excited about coming to work and are highly engaged.
Communication / Teamwork
In a positive workplace, you’ll find communication and teamwork. Leaders set clear expectations, and employees understand what is being asked of them. People talk about ideas and bring up issues before they become problems. Employees communicate to improve their teams and speak positively to one another.
Onboarding / Training
Onboarding is a big indication of what to expect from a company’s culture. In a positive environment, new hires are guided through their responsibilities and necessary processes. Good employers invest in good hires, and that starts on day one. And, in a positive workplace culture, training is an ongoing commitment. If a company is proud to offer their employees opportunities for professional development, they likely have a positive workplace culture.
Benefits of a Positive Workplace Culture
Productivity
If it’s not obvious by now, positive workplaces are productive. Employees understand their role and the importance of their work, and they know whom to ask for help.
Excellence
Not only are positive workplaces productive, but they also exceed expectations. When employees feel acknowledged as individuals, they are more likely to deliver work that exceeds expectations. They know their work is being looked at as an extension of themselves, not just as a nameless deliverable, thereby encouraging them to contribute in meaningful ways.
Empowerment
Employees who work within a positive culture are empowered to think independently and make smart decisions. Given their supportive environment and ongoing training, it’s easy to understand why employees would feel empowered in their roles.
Retention
Happy employees don’t leave. And, if they do, chances are they leave on good terms. A positive workplace that fosters a culture of employee satisfaction will help retain your best employees and keep your team moving forward.
Opportunities
In a positive work environment, employees see opportunities instead of problems. When issues arise, there is a focus on collaboration and creativity that leads to finding a solution. In a negative environment, issues are more likely to prompt blame or frustration, turning opportunities into obstacles.
Culture at PeakActivity
As you can tell, creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture is super important.
While it’s no easy task, here at PeakActivity we attribute much of our success to the culture we’ve created. So, to help you understand how a positive workplace culture can impact company success and employee fulfillment, we’ve asked our team to share their thoughts on the culture at PeakActivity.
Here’s what some had to say:
“Collaborative. Teamwork. Family”
– Neil Gross
“Our culture is professional and trusting, where everyone is dedicated to making everyone succeed.”
– John Lambrechts
“Challenging and Friendly”
– Clayton Gravely
“Camaraderie”
– Maria Mendoza
The unifying theme of our team’s feedback has to do with a sense of togetherness. As the old saying goes, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. For each person to be successful, PeakActivity has cultivated a sense of trust among employees in which mutual respect and solution-oriented thinking sets a tone for progress. Like the military, a buddy-system ensures that no one gets left behind.
How to Make Positive Cultural Changes
A positive workplace culture doesn’t happen overnight. Often, it takes loads of work and commitment in order to turn a negative workplace into a positive one. Then again, nothing worth having comes easy. So here are some proven tips on how you and your team can cultivate a positive culture and start working in a place where you actually want to work.
Start with Why
“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.”
– Simon Sinek, author, Start with Why
Open Doors
“Make sure everybody in the company has great opportunities, has a meaningful impact and is contributing to the good of society.”
– Larry Page, CEO, Google
Be a Team Player
“One of our values is that you should be looking out for each other. Everyone should try to make the lives of everyone else who works here a little bit simpler.”
– Stewart Butterfield, Founder, Slack
Hire Intentionally
“I think as a company, if you can get those two things right — having a clear direction on what you are trying to do and bringing in great people who can execute on the stuff — then you can do pretty well.”
– Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook
Value Relationships
“The only thing we have is one another. The only competitive advantage we have is the culture and values of the company… All we have is the relationship around the values of the company and what we bring to the customer every day. And we all have to own it.”
– Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks