"Cultivating Company Culture: Four Leadership Priorities"
by Kelly Keefe, President and CEO of ERC
In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, leaders play a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining organizational culture. While competitive pay will always be an important part of attracting and retaining top talent, culture is becoming equally important. This article explores four critical aspects of culture that demand attention at the highest levels of leadership. From values to messaging, leaders must be equipped to ground their organizations in principles that define who they are and differentiate them from their competition for talent.
It's easy to let the urgent day-to-day issues crowd out conversations about company culture, especially when those tend to last longer than one sitting. Breaking it down into parts of a whole can help. In this article, we’ll look at what we consider the foundational four: Organizational Values, Employee Value Proposition, Employee Experience and Wellbeing, and Communication Cadence.
Organizational Values: Culture is contagious. And the way to spread it is through shared values. Characteristics that tend to make values stick include:
Authentic – What already makes you great? Start there.
Clear and simple – Pick 3 - 5 that are easy to memorize.
Actionable – Can they can be brought to life?
Reinforced – Make them stick via modeling, recognition, performance reviews, judgement calls
Be sure to establish values your organization can live by and stand by.
Employee Value Proposition (EVP): The EVP is the unique set of total rewards and experiences an organization offers its employees in exchange for their knowledge, skills, abilities, and contributions. Its rise in popularity can be attributed to the increase in items put on the negotiating table. Examples include base and variable pay; paid time off; work hours, location, and flexibility; work environment; learning and development; perks and support; and the list goes on. Organizations can now offer more of this and less of that, and employees are picking what’s best for them. The key is to be intentional about your EVP, build upon what you already have, and focus on finding and keeping good employee matches.
Employee Experience & Wellbeing: The ‘whole employee’ is now the focus. Holistic HR practices that foster engagement and wellbeing must be business imperatives. Ensure you are measuring the employee experience, checking in on the employee experience, and enhancing the employee experience. If that sounds like a lot of work, the good news is it pays dividends in productivity and retention, to name a few.
Communication Cadence
How, how often, and what you communicate about matters. Communication cadence – the rhythm, frequency, and timing of communication within a team, department, or organization – can set leaders apart and make or break a culture. Healthy cultures are ones where transparency, along with clear, consistent messaging, are the norm. Employees want to know what to expect and where to find the information they need to thrive in their role. Make and follow a plan that includes the right blend for your business. Examples include annual strategy sessions, quarterly state of the company addresses, monthly team meetings, weekly 1-on-1s, daily stand-ups, quarterly performance check-ins, etc. Use a variety of channels to maximize absorption and impact.
Want to learn more from Kelly Keefe?
Join us for Cultivating Company Culture, an expert-led discussion highlighting the critical importance of cultivating company culture for second stage companies. Discover strategies to encourage an engaged, productive, and fulfilling work environment throughout the organization.
November 6, 2025, 7:30 - 9:00 am
Bounce Innovation Hub, 526 S. Main Street, Akron
Offered as part of Morgan Foundation’s Second Stage Learning & Networking Series