A strong company culture prizes transparency, authenticity, and individuality, which in turn fosters an environment in which team members feel comfortable being themselves. This does not mean there should not be standards of professionalism and excellence, but it does mean that team members should have the space in which to play, make mistakes, and be creative. When people are not intimidated to reveal aspects of who they are, they are likely to be happier and freer to come up with out-of-the-box ideas that can become any company’s cutting edge. Furthermore, when people are embraced for their differences, they tend to be more open to engaging in the kind of empathetic listening and nuanced discourse that build strong bonds in both business and society.
Here are four practical tips to ensure you are building a culture in which team members are empowered to be themselves…