Workplaces with a positive culture make employees come to work with drive and vitality. They go about their daily tasks with determination and so much fun, for the environment they work in makes them thrive.

Creating a positive environment for employees is hence crucial as it makes them feel valued and fit in the organisation’s vision and work style.

Workplace culture is the overall character of the business. Often unique to the organisation, workplace culture can include elements such as the business’s values, beliefs, behaviours, goals, attitudes, and work practices.

Delphine Umugwizawase, the Chief Executive Officer of Ubudasa Wall Paints says that she has strategies she uses that have helped her create a positive work culture in their company.

The first thing a boss or a manager should know is that before giving orders, you have to first serve as an example which is what a good leader does. Listen to what your employees say because they are the company’s pillars, they have suggestions and listening to them makes them feel valued in the company. I try to connect with my employees so they see me not only as their boss, but as a colleague, that way they can trust me, she says.

But also, giving an employee the value and rights they deserve is another thing that helps in creating a positive work culture and environment. All of this results in trust and teamwork from employees.

Eddy Roberts Niyomfite the CEO of Noblia an online shopping market, says that every company has its culture. It depends on how deliberately and intentionally you decide for the culture or what the culture emerges out to be.

"Culture is not what you say you will do, it is what you do. The reason it is important to build a positive culture in a company is that, culture drives actions. If you as a boss don’t form a culture, the company is more likely to face a toxic environment,” he says.

 "As a leader, you have to watch your actions because how you do things becomes a culture in which the rest of the company operates. If you want a culture where your customers are valued, learn how to treat your customers well,” he adds.

Niyomfite highlights that culture needs amenities that facilitate it to be spread out and met, and each individual should make it their responsibility to not only understand but put into practice what’s required of them.

Remy Mucyo, who works in a transport company shares that leaders play a major part in influencing the workplace culture. 

Employees within an organisation look up to leaders and use their behaviour as a guide for how they themselves should act. For example, if an organisation says that being punctual is important, yet the leaders themselves are never early in office, it will soon be seen as acceptable to come late at work, he says.

Not only does having a positive culture in the workplace let your employees fit in the company’s values and visions, it also builds a culture of providing feedback whenever things go wrong or when an employee has made mistakes.

"Everyone can make mistakes but if there is no feedback for where one ought to improve, more mistakes are bound to happen. It is upon the leader to make it a culture where employees receive feedback for how they are performing, this creates trust and also strengthens the company’s operations,” says Alaine Uwamahoro who works as an accountant.

Strategies worth using in a company Establish trust

As a leader, it is important for you to build a trustworthy relationship with your employees. When your employees trust you, they believe in your decisions. But trust is not something that you can gain overnight; you have to earn it over time with conscious effort.

Determine the current culture

Before you create a positive workplace culture, it is important to determine and acknowledge the current company culture.

Define the ideal workplace culture

Before you shape the existing culture in your company, define the ideal qualities that you want to integrate with your company culture. There is no workplace culture that fits every organisation, different companies have different priorities.