Culture matters. Not the cultivation of bacteria and tissue cells in an artificial medium containing nutrients. People culture. Work culture. Human achievement regarded collectively culture. Culture sustains that first week enthusiasm for an entire career. If a business owner gets their culture right, the result is peace of mind.

Employees should look forward to going to their jobs. They should enjoy the challenges, their co-workers, and the atmosphere. Careers shouldn't provoke stress in employees. The working environment should not close down the mind, heart and spirit of a person.

While the work may be difficult, the culture should be designed to alleviate the work related stress: a window with a view will always be more powerful than a motivational cat poster pinned to a brick wall.

Business culture can be a Tyrannosaurus Rex that will eat morale alive and swallow your business whole in a single gulp. Or it can be the cement that glues hearts and minds together, so they work with you forever.

Here's a few tips on how to avoid T-Rex culture:

Avoid square peg in round hole syndrome

The US Government didn't employ J. Robert Oppenheimer to head up the Manhattan Project, then insist he spend his time in the cutlery department trying to create a spork. They put him where he best fit, then let him go to work. OK, so his work murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people - but that was what he had been employed to do.

Feed, water and leave your people in light

Humans are not designed to sit at a computer all day hitting buttons with letters on. A human with no plan is a lion without eyes or teeth, sent into a ballpit with violent children: full of frustration, with nowhere to release it. In the beginning the lion hates himself. But after a while, he hates the ballpit. In short, if you keep an employee in the dark and let them think that they can't grow in the company, if a person thinks that what they are doing today is what they will be doing for the rest of their life...Eventually they will hate your company. They might even stay working for you while hating you - which is the mentality at the heart of all customer complaints.

Just say no to motivational cat posters

Don't take the piss out of your employees intelligence by insulting them with fluffy kittens playing with balls of elastic, with embarrassing out of date wisdom from the 80's. Just. Don't.

Do not micromanage

You created the business from scratch, but if you aren't prepared to let your people do what they can, then your business is never going to grow beyond your own limitations. A business that is micromanaged is the extension of one mind. This is the DNA of a small business. A business led by a visionary who empowers his staff to become autonomous becomes the extension of many minds. This is the DNA of an empire.

Beards are good

Don't tell your employees how to dress or look. Just because you think suits should be worn, and ties and suits and polished shoes are a must, doesn't mean they should be. Some owners run their business like the military and think this is good. NEWSFLASH: The military is an organised group of people who unfortunately sell their soul to the devil for a lie. It's really nothing to emulate.

Don't be a fuckwit

Well done, you created a business. You are making money. This doesn't make you a genius. Remember that your employees might not have your business head, but Mark in booth 10 once scored a goal from the half way line, and Margaret in booth 3 can fly a plane. You are the magnet that has attracted these people, but you are not the main attraction in their lives. So don't get above your station. A real leader lets others lead. Don't be a fuckwit.

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