Your company's culture is a direct reflection of your brand’s story. What if your company could change its culture with a simple shift in its brand message? Would you be interested in learning about how to do that?
In this article, we'll talk about the impact of company culture and how StoryBrand can transform your company's culture from the inside out.
What exactly is company culture? We all have an idea of what it might be -- happy employees, fun office parties, free food in the break room. That may or may not describe your company's current culture, but there are core parts of your company culture that exist no matter where your office is located. The National Federation Independent Business defines company culture as "the way we do things around here." This definition hits it right on the money.
Every company has a culture, but not every culture is positive. In fact, company culture can zap the life right out of a company if left unchecked. According to The Balance, "Numerous studies have found that having great employee engagement is critical for business success and that disengaged workers are more likely to miss workdays, get injured on the job, spend money unwisely, and even quit their jobs altogether." What does this mean for company leaders? They need to do everything in their power to make sure their company's culture reflects well on the company itself. Leaders can use StoryBrand to help transform their culture in such a way that it changes from the inside out. Let's take a closer look at company culture and how company leaders can use StoryBrand to effect change.
What Is Company Culture?
When people come together for a singular goal, a culture is inevitably formed. Even if a company only has one employee, that person will bring his cultural roots to their work. Humans can’t help but bring their personal experiences and values into every organization they’re in, whether they do it consciously or unconsciously. For example, does your company make it feel as if you’re attending summer camp than entering a formal business agreement? If so, congratulate yourself! You've created a culture that makes you and your company feel more like a community.
Do you prefer to sign formal, official paperwork for company purchases and sales? Then congratulations! You've created a culture that reflects well on your company's professionalism.
What Is Your Brand?
"Your company brand is what others say about you when you're not in the room." - Brené Brown, author of Daring Greatly
The way people talk about your company is its company brand. Let's look at two examples:
Example #1: A group of friends is hanging out, talking about how they'd never buy their flowers from anywhere but Local Flower Shop because the staff is so friendly there. The company has built up a great company brand and customer engagement in the community.
Example #2: A group of friends is hanging out, talking about how they never drive past Baker & Crumbler Bakery because their company logo is so unappealing and they just can't stand looking at it. The company has a bad company brand in the community and for potential customers.
Your brand is more than just the logo or the way your staff engages with customers, but they’re all part of the whole experience customers have with your company, which creates your brand’s identity.
How Does Company Culture and Company Brand Align?
Company culture is another great factor that makes up your brand. If you have a positive culture, it will create a ripple effect that will help build your brand. If people hear about how toxic it is to work with you, word will definitely spread and your brand will take a downturn.
When a company's culture and brand align, it's a beautiful thing! If company leaders truly value company culture, then company leaders implement company branding that supports their culture goals. When they do this, they affect employee behavior and every employee feels good about working for the company and customers feel good about buying from the company too -- which means everyone wins!
How Do Company Culture and Company Brand Disagree?
But company branding and culture don't always align. What does this look like?
If company leaders value company culture, but their branding doesn't reflect company values, employees feel the disconnect. If they know their company cares about company culture but company branding sends a different message, they'll probably end up feeling dissatisfied with working for that company in particular -- which means customers are unhappy too! And that's not great for revenue streams.
Why Should Company Leaders Care About Company Culture?
"Organisations with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%" - Gallup
Company leaders should care about company culture because they want their companies to be ahead of the game. If company leaders care about company culture, they'll make company branding choices and marketing materials that reflect what company culture should be -- which will lead to happy employees and customers. Everybody wins!
How Can Company Leaders Use StoryBrand to Transform Company Culture?
Company leaders can use principles from Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand to help transform their company culture from the inside out.
In this book, Miller introduces us to the StoryBrand Framework, a marketing roadmap designed to simplify your brand’s message by using storytelling principles. Your company can apply these principles in the way your employees communicate with each other, either vertically or horizontally. When communication lines are clearer, it’s easier to establish the company culture you want to implement.
What does this mean? Company leaders implement branding that reflects their values, which in turn helps employees feel good about working for their company and encourages them to spread company culture consistently where they go in everyday life. The work they do now aligns perfectly with their identity. They’re bringing your brand out there and every time they interact with prospects, they help spread the word about your business.
Donald Miller’s StoryBrand marketing approach makes it easier for you to reach more people or even improve the way you interact internally by simplifying every mode of communication from meeting agendas, internal emails, memos, and even the simplest instructions you tell your employees whenever you delegate tasks.
Avoid The Narrative Void
Just like how a well-crafted StoryBrand BrandScript can transform customer engagement with a clearer message and using very few words, StoryBrand’s principles can also be used to improve your culture as a company. If you think that customers are the only people affected by a confusing brand message, think again. Employees, as human as they are, get affected by your company's unclear message as well.
When the story is unclear or there is no story at all to keep everyone aligned, this may be a sign that your company is being affected by the thing called Narrative Void. This vacant space inside your organization can cause your company to splinter into factions of disconnected efforts that make it harder to come together in a unified mission. For a long time, companies have been trying to fight against the Narrative Void by using their Mission Statement to unite employees. Unfortunately, this seldom works. Companies with disengaged employees often end up losing money.
Clear the Confusion
Thousands of companies all over the world are benefiting from StoryBrand’s principles, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and beyond. If you want to improve the way you engage with your employees, one good way to do that is to seek the help of a StoryBrand Guide.
The best way to implement the proven principles of StoryBrand is to join a StoryBrand Workshop. In this interactive, online workshop, you’ll get the chance to bring your team together to work with a StoryBrand Guide so you can apply the StoryBrand Framework internally, and create the company culture you can all be proud of. Click on the button below to sign up on the next StoryBrand Workshop!
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