How do you build a company culture across locations?

I'm convinced that building a strong culture requires a genuine and empathetic leader, someone who stirs admiration and acts as a true agent of change. A leader who inspires absolute trust and credibility, capable of bringing out the best in everyone, regardless of their background or lifestyle. Such a leader not only transforms a company but can completely change the game on a grand scale.

A well-defined culture acts as a compass for employees, guiding their decisions and behaviors. Without a clear definition, employees might interpret the culture in varied ways, leading to inconsistencies. By articulating what the culture stands for, companies can ensure that every team member, irrespective of their location, is aligned with the organization's core beliefs and values.

I would add that it is important to 'personify' that culture, especially when team members mainly interact through a screen. Writing down stuff for everyone to read will only get you so far, but if Senior Management really engage then it becomes easier for the rest of the company, where ever they are to follow.

When I interview candidates to join our company, one of my key questions is always "tell me about the values you bring to work." I use that to articulate our values and make sure they're highly aligned. If they join the company, the first meeting I have with them on the first day is also focused on communicating our values - and that they will guide every decision we make day to day. In this way, values define our culture - they may be expressed differently by different people, but they sprout from a common core.

Agree. .) Mission, vision, values, work culture is so important. Thats all part of building a brand. You cant start early enough with building trust and "telling your story to the world". .) Before you start selling anything, a very long/very intensive market research is the bare minimum to succeed, because "no/not enough demand" is an all-time Top 3 why startups fail. .) Last point: Specially in the Renewable Energy/Sustainability/Electric Vehicles industry, your reputation (your brand) is only as good as your "enviromental impact" is transparent and of course as low as possible.

One thing that has been found useful is to first document the vision you carry about the organization and align with the mission statement. The vision statement should then be communicated to all employees across locations starting with the employee onboarding process. Having a common goal across the organization is a must first to build a great company culture. This thought alignment once achieved, begins to seep into the processes and systems that the company follows and performs and then before long, becomes a company culture that is common to all and does not need to be hammered in but is a way of life within the organization. Walk the talk.

Processes are the tangible manifestations of a company's culture. When processes align with cultural values, it reinforces those values in daily operations. For instance, if a company values innovation, having a bureaucratic approval process might stifle creativity. Alignment ensures that the processes don't just pay lip service to the culture but actively promote and uphold it.

Based on my experience, the strongest cultures are built organically and evolve over time in response to different realities and circumstances. This evolution often occurs for various reasons, including technological advancements. In companies with healthy and robust cultures, it's the processes that adapt and align with the culture, never the other way around.

Consistency is key to make a company culture effective. In every aspects of the company's life. Make it participated by teams and people.

In any thriving organization...processes become an input for effective outcomes to emerge. For example, when they create a process to have an inclusive and diverse work environment where all employees feel valued and respected....then, it is important to have the same driven for real. Trust gets enhanced when individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives collaborate and contribute. Pre and Post of pandemic brought innumerable changes in the workplace processes impacting culture and thus similar to this...it is essential that workplaces are open to new ideas and inputs from employees to ensure that people feel for the workplace and exhibit a strong sense of belongingness.

Empowering your leaders so that they have the skill, will and the authority to make a change is really important. At a lot of places, I have observed that leaders don't have the power to create an impact in the culture. Despite having the skill and the will, they don't have the authority. At other places, despite having the authority, leaders don't have the skill or the will to make a positive impact. It's a very sensitive area to coach and empower leaders to make an impact in the organizational culture. Leaders should be empathetic and sensitive enough to understand the impact of their actions on employees. Acting simply basis the whims and fancies of a person can be very detrimental to the overall growth of the organization.

Culture at any workplace is built by people since they have the 💪🏽 to either make it or break it. What's extremely essential is to have Leaders who are Specialists to drive the right cultural values and behaviors. In addition, having Chief Cultural Officer can work wonders since companies have started to realize the importance of this role - they can become effective storytellers ensuring they do not just uphold the values but also be completely agile and in tune with the times. For example, if leaders believe that training and skill Development can create magic to drive effective communication, virtual collaboration, and time zone management - then eventually, it will become a force towards improvement and not a mere tickmark.

Leaders are the torchbearers of a company's culture. Their actions, decisions, and behaviors set the tone for the rest of the organization. When leaders are empowered to champion the culture, it sends a strong message about the company's commitment to its values. Moreover, leaders who are aligned with the company's culture can effectively bridge cultural nuances across different locations, ensuring consistency.

The main role model is you. You cannot empower your leaders beyond your own self-empowerment. Especially, when times are tough. Improve your self-awareness and maintain Emotional Hygiene. Otherwise, your impulsive weaknesses may steer you away from stated values and undermine your leaders' trust/motivation to uphold these values alone.

Executive strong committment, in my experience, is key. But, mid-management involvement is crucial to have the company culture shared and effective. And also ready to be dynimically adjusted and improved

Engagement to me comes from curling the walls down. Every human demands both an emotional and financial salary when settling into a career. We should pay to deliver against the job title but we should also pay to deliver the emotion and energy. A team who understands how to engage their emotions meaningfully is one that will naturally fuel a progressive culture. I believe that everything gets better with an investment in emotion: collaboration, interaction, recognition. See beyond the to-do list and crosscheck the feels.

The culture of a workplace becomes effective only when employees and the people associated with it feel valued. The need for this increases considerably when people are widespread and are part of different geographical locations. Understanding people, their needs, aspirations, challenges, ideas, and concerns are aspects that go a long way in terms of building the right perspective. For example, implementing R&R programs that acknowledge the contributions of team members across different offices and time zones will operate like dopamine and will boost morale thereby reinforcing a culture of appreciation 🚀

Involving employees in building a strong organizational culture is very crucial. This can be done in 2 ways: 1) Communicating your values, mission, vision, benefits, opportunies, rewards and recognition among employees. Whenever it comes to these things, no amount of communication is over-communication. You need to reinforce these messages again and again, and at multiple places. 2) Choosing 'Culture Advocates' or 'Culture Ambassadors' at different locations can really help in embracing same set of values across different locations of the organization.

I believe that engagement within a company unfolds in three interconnected stages. The first is engagement with one's immediate supervisor; the second, with the company's leader; and the third, with the company and its culture. In my view, achieving genuine engagement with the company is virtually impossible without first forging a strong and human connection with the people. This connection must be built on a foundation of empathy and respect, going beyond mere technical competence. It's essential to allow a diversity of ideas and opinions, always sharing common values, codes, and ethics.

Employee engagement goes beyond mere job satisfaction. When employees are engaged, they are emotionally invested in the company's success. By creating opportunities for cross-location interactions and collaborations, companies can foster a sense of belonging. Engaged employees are more likely to go the extra mile, share feedback, and contribute positively to the company's culture.

This is a key component from my experience doing a culture build across geographies. After having defined the vision and purpose, we must allow a good degree of autonomy to allow others to adapt and localise ideas to their own local cultures and circumstances. By enabling leaders to build cultures organically, team members will feel more ownership and accountability.

From a startup's perspective, understanding the actual context is vital. It involves observing, analyzing, and evaluating everything from the market to the team, adapting and evolving constantly. But what truly sets it apart is a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. It's not a matter of political correctness; it's an essential strategy. By valuing differences in ideas and opinions, you create a space where everyone can be authentic, fostering organic innovation. It's a key ingredient for a successful startup.

Every location has its unique cultural nuances, market dynamics, and regulatory environment. A one-size-fits-all approach might not resonate with everyone. By being adaptable, companies can ensure that their overarching culture is sensitive to local nuances. This not only respects the diversity of employees but also makes the culture more inclusive and relatable.

As a CEO stay always curious, stay always attentive to small signals, to help you understand the state of your team and be ready to adjust quickly and wisely. Find few trusted people with whom you can discuss openly and be very honest about feedbacks. Than test and adjust. Ask also to the common knowledge go your team to propose the best way

Culture is dynamic, and what worked yesterday might not be relevant today. Regular evaluations provide a feedback loop, ensuring that the culture remains relevant and effective. By measuring key cultural indicators and gathering feedback, companies can make data-driven decisions, refining and evolving their culture to meet the changing needs of the organization and its employees.

I do believe one can measure cultural behaviour. In one of my companies we have agreed to five core values that transport our culture. We included all five in our quarterly/half-year reviews and discussed with employees if and how they have shown their commitment to these values and thus our culture. This has worked quite well

Culture is not fixed but evolving. At the very start, the founders should define their vision clearly and consider how to go about accomplishing the mission. Most important is: they should walk their talk to let members of their company know what they value. Gradually, others will pick up the message and follow suit.

Organizations often have a strategy to build their culture instead of reinforcing the behaviors organically that align with the culture they wish to see. All the ad campaigns, flyers, or "culture chanpion" awards in the world won't shape an organizational culture if there is no accountability among those at the top. If the culture is modeled day-to-day in an authentic way, then they serve to shape the norms in the workplace.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast - Peter Drucker. Fractional cultural adaptation in the local context. During my recent SCALE UP interview episode with Bhavik Vashi, Carta APAC MD, he talked about, “Many of the norms we discussed have a different meaning in the APAC context. When we are talking about being hungry for instance. What does that mean for Asia? Does it mean people coming to the office super early? It’s sometimes being mistranslated into hard work in Asia. Being hungry could mean for growth, or for learning and development opportunities. “ The really good practice he described at Anaplan is to separate the impact of culture from P&L and give local offices freedom to create their own subculture.

Encouraging open dialogue and contributions ensures that the culture remains vibrant and alive. It acknowledges that culture isn't just top-down but is co-created by everyone in the organization. This collaborative approach can lead to richer insights and a more holistic understanding of the company's culture.