If you are looking to know what the trends are in terms of business culture, you are in the right place. Next, I'm going to give you a tour of some cases that I think are very interesting and in my opinion are one of the great examples of how to approach a culture that generates engagement with employees.
But first I would like us to delve into a term “business culture”. What is that now being heard in companies? What are the benefits of having a defined culture? Even in this decade, we find organizations that have not been able to reveal the great meaning that an established culture can have and how it manages to positively impact the employee experience and, consequently, the customer experience.
What is Business Culture?
We can define business culture as the DNA of our company. Through it, we are going to make our employees feel more committed and that their work makes sense. That is why it is important that culture is not copied, quite the contrary, just as there are as many cultures as there are countries in the world, because the same thing should happen in the organizational sphere, because that is what defines you as a company.
However, today I want to share with you some examples of organizations that have been working in their own culture and how they have achieved great benefits, I invite you to take these examples as a reference and even as an inspiration. But remember that, if you want to define or transform the culture of your company, it will be necessary to do deep work but that both you and your co-workers feel identified in your workplace.
Business Culture Example 1: Salesforce Case
Source: https://www.leadclic.com/
Its culture of Hawaiian origin has defined each of the actions and experiences that take place within this organization. One of the initiatives that have marked the lives of all its workers is the use of Hawaiian t-shirts every Friday, to remember its origins, since the technology company began its activities with a team of engineers who worked from home, although today it is something normal, at the time it was not.
Among their memories, they experienced it as days with heavy workloads, but they never lost their essence, nor their purpose, which was to have fun while doing it. In honor of those great days, they have implemented Friday rituals to remind them that even today they can continue to work much more, but they still continue to have a good time.
In turn, Salesforce has adapted certain practices in its daily lives to make that closeness felt in its culture, such as using some Hawaiian words. For them, it is also important to build value and differentiate their employees based on their values as a brand, so every day they work to promote gender equality in the organization, for more information visit the Salesforce website.
Business Culture Example 2: Adobe Case
Source: https://www.adobe.com/
When the leaders of Adobe wanted to see how the organization was doing (several years ago), they realized the large deficit they had in customer service. The company had experienced great success thanks to the creativity of its employees, always producing and developing new and innovative products and services, but with a great opportunity to improve the treatment offered to customers.
This deficit was due to the fact that the main distribution channels for Adobe products were through retailers, partners, small technology companies, and the focus had never been on the final consumer. As its business model changed, the company had to evolve in the way it interacted with its customers, providing a more direct approach and transforming the brand.
To make this change, Adobe had to immerse its employees in a more customer-oriented mindset, starting with improving the experience of its employees. The then Senior Vice President Donna Morris explained “we realized that we needed to be so big to work, as to work for someone. And this requires a cultural change.”
Morris and his colleagues began by combining previously disconnected parts of the company into one. First, they merged the personnel and product support functions of companies, which previously operated independently and became a single unit. By carrying out these types of actions, they achieved a more holistic view of customers across the company.
Then, they created a new department that would combine customer experience with employee experience, making the support provided at the front end come from the HR department, which in turn supports employees. At that time, his new role was to lead both the customer and employee experiences, and Morris's responsibility was to ensure that everyone (customers and collaborators) had a positive experience with Adobe.
At the time of the change, Morris explained that his role was to “ensure the success of people so that Adobe would grow with them. If they are employees, it means attracting them, developing them and helping them to grow. If they're customers, it's exactly the same thing.” With this new Adobe department, it sought to be able to accelerate the company's expertise in creating great experiences for its employees and in turn it translated into an excellent experience for customers.
“Ensure people are successful so that Adobe grows with them. If they are employees, it means attracting them, developing them and helping them to grow. If they are customers, it's exactly the same thing”
Finally, Adobe completely transformed its business model, opening subscriptions to its cloud-based service, and creating a new need to “be more agile and adaptive” to meet the new needs of its customers. Morris and team judged the number of offices they had open at that time, going from 80 to 68 offices. Their main objective for this change was to gain “proximity” with their work team, since they realized that having so many offices could lose the treatment and culture desired by Adobe. However, it was not an easy decision to make, but it was definitely worth it to be able to consolidate the team geographically.
Adobe's organizational change was a strategic business decision, something that today's leaders value very little. A study conducted by the recruitment firm Korn Ferry reported that while 72% of executives agree that “culture is extremely important” for organizations, only 32% say that culture is able to align their business strategy.
This great disconnect could explain the study conducted by Bozz Allen Hamilton and the Aspen Institute, where they show that most executives see their main values and, by extension, their culture also affecting corporate reputation and, in turn, personnel recruitment. Much less do they believe that values and culture influence their organization's adaptability to changing conditions, operational efficiency and productivity, risk management and economic growth. To view the results of Adobe as a Great Place to Work.
Business Culture Example 3: The Nike Case
Source: https://www.elperiodico.com/
Why do we exist? This is the question that all organizations must ask themselves and the one that Phil Knight asked himself one day in his most challenging moments, but who was later able to create his own company and today have one of the most recognized companies in the world of Nike sports fashion.
Kight bet everything on a dream, making “deals with the devil” by mortgaging his own home, but being clear that his dream was based on leaving a mark on the world, because he “believed in running” as he expressed it in the memoirs of Shoe Dog.
“I think that if all people went out and ran a couple of miles every day, the world would become a better place, and I think these shoes will be good for running”
With this phrase we can identify that even Phil Knight himself realized the importance of having a clear purpose and convictions. Once defined, you can mobilize thousands and millions of people, as the Nike company does today with all its customers.
“I think that if all people went out and ran a couple of miles every day, the world would become a better place, and I think these shoes will be good for running”
In addition to its customers, Nike has demonstrated to us the great commitment they have achieved with their employees. It's all because they are aligned with the same values and purposes of generating a benefit for all people and, above all, of building a better world. A clear example of this is simply observing the evolution that this company has in product innovation, how every day they question what they have done so far, looking for new solutions that help improve the experience of using their shoes and that provide a differential value to all their users.
Today, that purpose is still valid at Nike and they have called it their “mission”, which is the driving force in their brand and corporate culture: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you're an athlete.”
In turn, Nike has renewed its tagline, “Just do it”, conveying its mission in a clear brand message that has accompanied thousands of Nike customers for many years. The mission and its principles, which they call “The Eleven Maxims” are those that govern employees at all levels of the company, to carry out each of their activities and represent the organization worldwide.
The 11 maxims that make up Nike's culture are:
1. Our nature is to innovate.
2. Nike is a company.
3. Nike is a brand.
4. Simplify and you're good to go.
5. The consumer decides.
6. Be a sponge.
7. Wrap immediately.
8. Do the right thing.
9. Master the fundamentals.
10. We're on the offensive, always.
11. Remember the man (the late Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike).
For more information, you can visit the Nike website.
And you already know that if you want to improve your company culture, all you have to do is write to us through this form and we will be happy to help you improve your internal culture thanks to the Employee Experience 🙂
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