In recent years, there are certain buzzwords that have taken the business world by storm. These words are not mere words, instead, they represent the major ideas and concepts that are most in use today and guide our businesses. Among this long list of words is also the word ‘culture’. Defined as the values, interactions and relationships prevalent in society, culture both defines and is defined by the people and the locality. Along similar lines, the work or corporate culture means the shared beliefs, values and interactions in any organization. The workplace culture is a reflection of the very essence of the organization. Guided by the foundational beliefs and tenets of the founders and influenced by the way things are done; the workplace culture is the unspoken psyche of the company.
Depending on how you want it to be, your workplace culture can be anything; professional, casual, friendly, competitive, strict or even repressive. Workplace culture directly impacts the people employed by the business and has rarely any impact on the customers; unless it affects operations or service delivery in any way. One of the most popular types of workplace cultures is the startup culture. A relatively contemporary and unconventional type of culture, the startup culture, is more open, interactive and respectful. Going beyond the confines of a rigid hierarchy, the startup culture breaks down and overcomes all and any hurdles to growth that a corporation may have. What makes the startup culture starkly different; however, is the fact that the desired growth is not only measured in monetary terms but also through excellence, employee development and overall learning.
Similar to the dedication and pure motivation that leads to the inception of a startup, the startup culture is also creative, versatile, dynamic and innovative. An antagonist to the established corporate setup, startup culture does not value rigidity and is inherently driven by passion and determination with equal responsibility sharing and respect for all. Foregoing even the conventional notions of the corporate setup, organizations adopting the startup culture often have little to no care for established ‘norms’ of certain ways of dressing, conventional ideas of ‘discipline’ and restricted communication. In general, regardless of organizational context, there are four major factors that make up the startup culture;
Passion: Based on the belief that ‘you shouldn’t really be doing this if this isn’t what you love’. Exceptionally motivational, this belief ensures hiring employees that would be dedicated, involved and passionate about the work making it all worth it.
Personality: Startup culture recognizes asset-based approaches and sees each employee as unique with their own skills that can be harnessed if valued.
Agility: The 21st century is fast-paced and the startup culture recognizes that. The agility aspect ensures that the flow of information and knowledge sharing is transparent, fast and efficient. Characterized by frequent brainstorming sessions and a general sense of being a team, agility is designed to improve the overall business.
Authenticity: The conventional corporate culture is rigid and strict with a firm hierarchy and a lack of consensus-based decision making. The startup culture is authentic, foregoes bureaucratic structures and values freedom of expression and individual identity. With the focus on the work alone, startup cultures allow individuals to be who they are so they can be the best asset for the company.
