Organizational Culture: What makes us Stay or Leave

When companies think beyond the office

Some companies primarily see the workplace as the space where we do our jobs: take on our responsibilities, carry out our tasks, meet, exchange ideas with our teams and work towards our goals. And, to support this, there are offices that are genuinely well designed. Ergonomics, lighting, green spaces, windows, break areas… are all carefully considered. Then there is the “American-style” approach, which has taken the concept of the office even further: spaces to rest and disconnect, different food options, services designed to make everyday life easier and, in some cases, even facilities for taking care of children or pets.

All of this matters. But to a large extent, it is still the visible part of the organization. Because behind the office lies something much harder to see, and much harder to design: culture. The invisible thread that connects people and shapes their experience. At its heart is one fundamental question: How do we work together? How do we feel at this workplace?

Its impact becomes particularly visible when things stop being “business as usual” and someone needs support: when there is a real problem with a client or a mistake has been made; when someone wants to grow and develop; or when they are going through a complex personal situation. In those moments, we see and feel how much we can rely on our team, our leader and the organization. All of this can influence motivation, productivity, performance and retention.

What shapes Organizational Culture and who defines it?

Culture could be described as the way we work, collaborate, relate to and care for one another within an organization. It is reflected in aspects such as:

• Company mission, norms and values: what we consider important and what we expect from one another.
• Communication: how we share information and how we speak to each other.
• Leadership: how decisions are made, how feedback is given, and whether we lead by example.
• Goals and development: what we want to achieve, which results we recognize and reward, and how we encourage continuous learning and development.
• Processes and behaviors: how we hire, onboard and offboard people, create processes, and handle mistakes and conflicts.
• Relationships: how we connect, collaborate and support one another.

Most importantly, culture is not the sole responsibility of senior management or HR. Leadership and HR should provide direction, facilitate the right tools and create the structures needed, but culture is built by everyone. It is shaped in every team, every conversation, every decision and every everyday behavior: One thing is what the framework says – and something very different is what actually happens when no one is watching.

This is why team leaders play such a fundamental role in shaping organizational culture.

Do you want to read more about the impact of leaders? Take a look at this article.

¿How can we improve Organizational Culture?

For us at Little healthy habits, the first step is not to write new corporate values or organize a team-building activity. The first step is to observe and ask ourselves:

• Is there consistency between what we say we value and what we actually do? What behaviors are we encouraging?
• What does a person experience when they ask for help, make a mistake or express a different opinion?
• Where do we see misalignment, lack of trust or conflicts that are affecting the way we work?

From there, we can identify where the gaps are and start working on them: leadership, communication, processes, roles, recognition, collaboration or wellbeing.

Conclusion

Improving organizational culture is not about designing a perfect culture. It is about gradually creating an organization where the way we work is aligned with the way we want to work.

It is one of the key factors in creating an environment where people not only want to stay, but can also work, grow and feel part of the organization in the long term.