How Organizational Culture Affects Productivity

With three weeks under my belt at Guidepoint, I cannot believe how quickly time flies by. It really has felt like only a few days ago I started here and was overly nervous to embark on the voyage. But what I believe has helped to make the time, and my work here so far, pass by so quickly is its very inviting organizational culture. Stemming from the CEO who has an office in our Manhattan office, all the way to my fellow interns, the culture at Guidepoint is very stated and embraced by every single employee. There are no contradictory values or in group versus out group norms or expectations- everybody is on the same page and actively works at embracing the inviting culture.

For instance, despite Guidepoint being divided into many different teams within the organization, there is still a cross-team interaction amongst allteams which helps to diffuse the barriers. At the end of the day, employees from other teams are just as friendly to me as employees within my team. As a result, it helps me (and I believe it helps others) to feel more included in the company. Despite having a large Manhattan office, Guidepoint’s culture is successful in salvaging the bond we all share. Additionally, I think the huge emphasis on “human capital”, a longstanding pillar of Guidepoint, enforces the importance of each individual here. For Guidepoint, its employees are the backbone of its success, and it is again a attitude which is embraced and reinforced to remind all of us how crucial of a part we play. These little reminders and values all collectively work to provide moral boosters and an enjoyable work culture. In return, I think the results speak for themselves. I know of nobody who would voluntarily work in a hostile or divided workplace over a welcoming and collective culture. I believe Guidepoint executives and leaders recognized the importance of a welcoming organizational culture and successfully created this work environment which maximizes the efficiency of its employees.

Similarly on the point, I think Guidepoint’s leadership team embodying the culture they have created makes the success even more evident. Having their offices right in the middle of our NYC offices (which always has an open door policy), embracing the casual attire on dress code, and making sure employees always feel comfortable through snack bars, coffee machines, Summer Fridays, etc… all maximize the strength of our unique culture. While these little behavioral tendencies may seem trivial, they go a long way in adding to Guidepoint’s friendly but work oriented culture. The leadership team has done an excellent job in striking the perfect balance of work and pleasure within the culture to make it thrive. I think now more than ever we see more and more companies following suit because if employees are not happy at work, there is 0% chance the most excellent work will be completed. Satisfying the needs and creating a welcoming and productive work environment, however, successfully produces the best work each employee can give.

In terms of recommendations, I would say keep up the little behavioral habits embraced from the top down- for they help to reinforce the uniquely excellent work culture at Guidepoint. For it is the organizational culture which helps to produce success, helps employees feel welcomed and equally important into the large company, and helps time fly by for the great balance of work and pleasure.