If You Want Better Company Culture, Start by Seeing People
- John Godoy
- Apr 29
- 1 min read
To build a positive culture, the starting point is to let people know they are seen.
In a recent course on collaboration I was teaching, one of the activities we did was to reflect on the behaviors and practices of leaders that helped build a positive workplace culture.
The most common answer was for leadership to acknowledge staff for their work. It did not have to be awards and constant congratulations, but just simple acknowledgements of the work they are doing go a long way.
It seems obvious, right? It is. But the problem is that in often overworked, time-crunched work environments, it is easily overlooked and forgotten.
One participant put it this way:
“When someone gets called into a manager’s office, the assumption is always that something's wrong. Because that’s the only time most people hear from leadership.”
Ultimately, the message in the discussion was clear - if you want to make inroads in building a collaborative work environment, it is essential to have staff feel that the work they do is seen.
This is not just the responsibility of leadership. To build a truly collaborative workplace culture, each member can play a part in acknowledging the work of their peers.
Make it a habit to tell someone you work with that you see and appreciate their work. It costs nothing, takes a minute, and it’s one of the most effective culture-building tools you have.
Kommentare