It’s important to have goals, but goals don’t mean much if you have no way of tracking your progress. I think that’s the problem a lot of business leaders have with company culture. It’s not that they don’t understand it, nor that they don’t see the merit in making cultural improvements. Often, though, they struggle to know whether their efforts are working—whether their culture is really improving at all.

It’s a hard thing to measure, yet not impossible. In fact, there are several key metrics you can use to track the evolution of your corporate culture.

How to Measure Company Culture

A few of those metrics include:

Communication. Are your employees all on the same page with regard to your company’s mission and values? Do you find that your current communication channels are effective, or are there frequently communication breakdowns in your company? Are conflicts common? Are they dealt with effectively when they arise? Culture fosters clear communication—and if you see obvious communication flaws, that’s a sign that there’s still work to be done in culture building!

Collaboration. In keeping with the last one, do your employees work together well? Do you have to tell them to use teamwork, or does that come naturally to them? Strong work cultures are environments in which teams flourish and people work together in unity.

Innovation. What’s the last great idea your team developed? Are you all adept at thinking outside of the box? Great culture lends itself to innovation, and creates an atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable offering bold ideas for consideration.

Wellness. Are your employees physically fit and mentally able—or are they constantly stressed out or burnt out? Do your employees take a lot of sick time? Are they generally sluggish or inefficient? If your team members are unhealthy, there’s a good chance that your culture is, too.

Support. Do your employees feel like you support them? Do they feel like you’re looking out for them, for their families, for their futures? In a healthy company culture, your employees will feel like they have all the resources and support they need to thrive!

Customer service. Finally: Healthy company culture creates an environment in which customer service is a priority. If your culture is getting better, your customers should be getting happier!

The bottom line for business leaders is that culture is worth investing in—and there are absolutely some ways to track your investment’s progress!

 

Originally posted on RickGoodman.com.