Expanding to new markets is one of the fastest ways to grow your company. However, such sudden growth can also stretch the boundaries of your company culture. As you become a globally dispersed team, checking if everyone follows the core values you envisioned when the company was just a few people becomes harder. Luckily, there are ways to keep the essence of their workplace culture, even in various new environments. Let’s explore ways to do just that.
The Complexities of Business Expansion
Expanding your business can be rather challenging. For instance, when moving to a new continent like Europe, the complexity increases. This region not only offers substantial opportunities for B2B and B2C engagements but also presents unique challenges due to its diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes. Each country varies significantly in business customs, leadership norms, and communication styles. Grasping these nuances is crucial for any company aiming to successfully navigate and thrive in the European market.
As a result, business customs may vary across small distances in Europe. When expanding your business here, researching each country, regardless of its size, is crucial. Leadership norms and communication styles will likely differ from Germany to Spain or Poland.
Understand Your Core Culture
To preserve your core culture while expanding to new markets, you need a firm grasp on it first. You need to define the values and behaviors that are the essence of your business. These will be things you won’t compromise on as you grow your team.
You need to communicate these values clearly, both to your existing team and new hires. The easiest way to do this while setting up new areas is clear and accessible documentation. We’re not talking about the next great American novel. Instead, it should be a document with only a few pages that gets your point across quickly.
At a glance, each new hire should be able to understand what your company is about — in mere minutes. Solidify the patterns that define your brand identity and ensure it’s present throughout everyone’s work.
Communicate Values Continuously
To instill the same company culture in everyone, you must make it ever-present. And this means more than a distinct visual style. You should have a steady pipeline of internal content for employees, which keeps everyone on mission at all times.
For example, videos that highlight company culture and newsletters that explain how it manifests itself in practice. It’s always effective to show success stories that highlight specific core values.
Also, make your company culture a deciding factor for promotions. This will give employees a tangible incentive to promote your core values in their everyday work.
Empower Leadership to Reinforce Culture
Leaders set the tone when it comes to market expansion. When growing into new regions, choose managers who understand and embody your culture. To get everyone on the same page, offer training that equips them to pass on values consistently.
Leadership should also model transparency and accountability. Encourage them to share examples of decision-making steeped in the company culture. Also, reward admitting when adjustments are needed to fit company culture better.
Leverage Technology for Unified Communication
Effective technology use is crucial for maintaining a unified company culture across different locations. Tools like Slack, Zoom, and Asana enable remote communication and collaboration. These platforms help bridge the distance between teams, ensuring that everyone stays connected. Virtual team-building activities, such as online escape rooms or trivia sessions, play a vital role.
They not only break the ice but also build camaraderie among team members from various regions. Additionally, implementing technology-based feedback mechanisms is essential. These tools collect valuable insights from employees across all locations, ensuring every voice is heard and considered in shaping the company culture.
Foster Regular Cultural Exchanges
Objective: Facilitate ongoing interactions and learning opportunities between different company locations to promote a deeper understanding and integration of the company culture across all markets.
- Regular Virtual Meetups: Organize frequent virtual meetings where teams from different regions can share updates, insights, and local practices.
- Cultural Immersion Sessions: Implement sessions where employees present unique aspects of their local culture to educate and connect with others in the company.
- Employee Exchange Programs: Develop short-term employee exchange programs that allow employees to work from another office location, fostering firsthand cultural exchange.
- Shared Corporate Events: Coordinate global virtual events, such as workshops, seminars, and guest speaker sessions, that align with the company’s core values and bring together employees from various regions.
- Cultural Mentorship Pairings: Pair employees from different geographical locations to promote mutual understanding and personal connections across the company’s global workforce.
Cultivate Local Culture Champions
Local culture champions are key to adapting and promoting the core company culture within local contexts. Selecting the right individuals for this role involves identifying employees who deeply understand and embody the company’s values. These champions are then trained to advocate for and reinforce these values within their local teams.
By empowering them, you ensure that the company’s culture is not just top-down but also grows organically from within each region. Sharing the success stories of local champions can inspire others and show the tangible benefits of a strong, localized company culture. This strategy not only enhances engagement but also ensures the company’s core values are reflected in every market.
Evaluate and Evolve
Culture is dynamic. As you expand, assess whether your cultural goals align with employee experiences. Be open to refining your approach while protecting what matters most. Ultimately, keeping company culture alive while expanding to new markets requires focus, consistency, and flexibility. With the right tools and mindset, your values can scale along with your business.