Corporate culture / organizational culture: seminar, coaching, workshop, consulting, tips and answers to questions

One of the most famous models of corporate/organizational culture was developed by Edgar Schein.

In it, he has defined various areas such as artifacts, norms, values and basic assumptions, which in turn are divided into three different levels based on their visibility.

• 1st level: The focus here is on artifacts such as the company building or work clothing. They are visible to all company members, stakeholders and external customers.
• 2nd level: This level consists of the company's values and standards. In other words, the feeling of how things should be. They provide an orientation framework for the behavior of the members.
• Level 3: The focus here is on the fundamental assumptions. They form the basis of the corporate culture, but are located in the subconscious of those involved.

In order to define possible measures, it makes sense to first analyze whether the current corporate culture is working well or not.

However, this is not an easy undertaking, as this topic is a social phenomenon and many factors are not visible or directly measurable. It is therefore difficult to measure using quantitative methods and express the results using key figures.

Qualitative approaches are more suitable here, for example with questionnaires, observation or discussions (interviews). The following factors are often used to evaluate corporate culture:

• Employee satisfaction
• Illness rate
• Performance and commitment
• Employee turnover

Corporate culture can manifest itself in different ways and can be experienced in different ways. For example, in the way employees identify with the company, how conflicts and mistakes are handled, the feedback culture, communication behavior or the way in which performance and commitment are valued.

The following topics can be covered in workshops, seminars or coaching sessions on the subject of corporate culture:

• Objectives, structure and development of the corporate culture
• The influencing factors
• Learning culture in transition
• Motivation and retention of employees
• Making workplaces attractive
• Open and fearless feedback culture
• Dealing constructively with feedback
• Mindfulness etc.

To change a corporate culture, you first need a lot of patience. On the way to change, the current situation should first be analyzed, whereby the history is listed. For example, corresponding management styles or team dynamics have significantly shaped the current corporate culture.

The question should then be asked as to what the new culture is intended to achieve. In other words: What is the goal? You should also talk to employees and decision-makers to find out what the strengths and weaknesses of the company's culture are.

Finally, concrete goals should be formulated.

Corporate culture is an important success factor. For example, it not only influences whether companies achieve their (business) goals, but also has an impact on employee satisfaction. This is particularly important when it comes to retaining employees in times of crisis and keeping staff turnover rates low. Satisfied employees also work more productively and their motivation increases if they can identify with a company's values and standards, which in turn has an impact on results and consequently on the company's success.

Finally, it should also be mentioned at this point that a good corporate culture leads to a better employer image and reputation on the labor market, which enables a company to position itself optimally against its competitors.

The term corporate culture is used to summarize the values, attitudes, norms and beliefs shared within a company. They not only have an influence on how those affected (i.e. both employees and management) feel and act within the company, but also how they convey this to the outside world. In terms of image and corporate success, this is of central importance.