Balancing act | How to keep company culture stable and positive during rapid expansion

History has shown that businesses that develop strong, positive cultures are usually the ones to survive and thrive in good times and in bad. This comes as no surprise, considering a business is essentially a community, and all communities are guided by a shared culture: what the group values, its goals and objectives, what basic rules govern its actions and behaviour, etc.

According to job posting and insights firm Indeed’s blog on the topic, “Organisational culture's importance cannot be overstated. A positive organisational culture is likely to reduce staff turnover because it can make them feel valued.”

That means that even when times are hard or uncertain, if people feel connected to those communities, they’ll stick around rather than jump ship. And with the talent crisis still around, fostering an orderly, productive culture is more important than ever.

But what about companies such as startups or those with aggressive growth strategies? How do organisations focus on growth and team work at the same time?

Kristen Tronsky, Chief People Officer at cloud IT service consultancy DoiT International, told HR Grapevine that many successful companies perform this balancing act throughout their existence.

“Especially true of start-ups and tech companies, the demands of rapid scale and aggressive penetration into new markets require constant team-building and re-evaluation of the business processes and cultural paradigms that have evolved around them,” she explains. “The success – or not – of achieving both at once is driven by a number of key factors that enable a strong, cohesive business culture amidst rapid, and sometimes chaotic, growth.”