Last month, I wrote about how some of our Japanese corporate clients have been approaching changes in employee mindsets and organizational awareness.
Recently, I attended a webinar titled Company Culture for the Virtual Workplace, presented through TrainingMag, a major U.S. training organization that regularly offers professional development webinars.
The presentation highlighted an important challenge facing American companies as well: How can organizations maintain and strengthen their corporate culture when employees are working remotely?
Companies are asking how they can encourage changes in employee mindsets, preserve their organizational culture, and ensure that their values remain visible in everyday work.
They are also considering how corporate culture itself may need to adapt to a remote working environment.
A Lesson in Shared Purpose from NASA’s Apollo Program
The presenter, Jill Christensen, illustrated the importance of organizational culture by sharing a story from NASA’s Apollo program.
During the era of the Apollo missions, employees working at the space center reportedly shared an extraordinary sense of purpose.
Even a janitor responsible for cleaning the restrooms understood how his work contributed to the organization’s larger mission.
Rather than saying, “I’m cleaning the restrooms,” he reportedly explained:
“I’m helping put a man on the moon.”
Imagine an organization where every employee, regardless of their position or responsibilities, feels that strongly connected to a shared mission.
When employees understand how their individual contributions support a larger purpose, their efforts naturally begin to align.
That shared sense of direction can generate tremendous motivation, spreading throughout the organization and positively influencing everything employees do.
But this raises an important question:
How can companies create that same powerful sense of shared purpose when their employees are working remotely?
Communication Is the Key to Maintaining Corporate Culture
Christensen’s answer was straightforward:
Make communication a priority.
Corporate leaders must genuinely believe in the importance of communication and make consistent efforts to overcome the barriers that naturally arise in remote work environments.
Rather than treating communication as an occasional activity, leaders need to make it an integral part of their everyday responsibilities.
Christensen outlined several practical approaches for communicating and reinforcing corporate culture in a virtual workplace.
1. Prioritize Video Communication and Embrace Technology
When given the choice between audio-only and video communication, choose video whenever possible.
Christensen encouraged participants to turn on their cameras so that colleagues could see one another and maintain a stronger sense of personal connection.
She also emphasized the importance of actively adopting new communication technologies.
For example, technologies were emerging that allowed as many as 20 participants to share their screens during a meeting.
Leaders should take advantage of these tools and use every appropriate opportunity to communicate the company’s values, identity, and culture.
2. Hold Regular Team Huddles
Establish short morning meetings, often called team huddles, to strengthen team unity and motivation.
These meetings provide opportunities for employees to connect, align their priorities, and begin the day with a shared sense of direction.
Senior leaders should also make an effort to spend time with employees and engage them in conversation whenever possible.
These regular interactions help reinforce the organization’s culture, even when employees are physically separated.
3. Schedule One-on-One Meetings
Communication should not be limited to group meetings.
Leaders should make time to speak individually with employees.
One-on-one conversations provide opportunities to understand employees’ concerns, hear their ideas, and build stronger personal relationships.
They also help employees feel connected to the organization and its leadership.
4. Create Leadership Q&A Sessions
Provide opportunities for employees to ask questions directly to senior executives.
These sessions help employees better understand the company’s direction and priorities.
At the same time, they give leadership valuable insight into what employees are thinking and experiencing.
Open dialogue helps maintain alignment between management and employees.
5. Rotate Meeting Facilitators
Instead of having the same person lead every staff meeting, rotate the responsibility among team members.
Different facilitators bring different perspectives, communication styles, and approaches to discussions.
This can encourage greater participation, introduce fresh ideas, and promote a more open organizational environment, even in a remote workplace.
6. Establish an Email Suggestion Box
Create a simple system that allows employees to submit ideas and suggestions by email.
This gives employees an additional opportunity to contribute their thoughts, particularly when they may not feel comfortable speaking up during meetings.
7. Conduct Employee Focus Groups
Organize focus groups where executives can hear directly from employees about the organization’s culture.
Ask employees how they perceive the company’s current culture and what kind of workplace they would like to see in the future.
These discussions can help leaders better understand employees’ expectations and identify opportunities to strengthen the organization.
Isn’t That Too Much Communication?
That’s quite an extensive list of communication activities!
You may be thinking:
“If we spend all our time communicating, when will we actually get any work done?”
I had the same reaction.
However, Christensen emphasized that this is precisely where a change in leadership mindset is needed.
Rather than viewing communication as something separate from daily work, executives must recognize it as an essential part of their responsibilities.
Making communication a regular part of management is what allows corporate culture to be maintained, strengthened, and expressed through everyday behavior.
And as with any organizational change, meaningful progress is unlikely unless senior leadership takes the initiative.
Corporate Culture Begins with Leadership
Remote work has eliminated commuting time for many employees.
But that does not mean organizations should simply allow communication to decrease.
Instead, executives and managers must become even more intentional about both the quantity and quality of their interactions with employees.
They should also remain attentive to advances in communication technology and actively explore tools that can strengthen collaboration and connection.
Most importantly, leaders must consistently demonstrate—through both their words and actions—that they value communication and the company’s culture.
They should reinforce those values at every appropriate opportunity.
A strong corporate culture does not maintain itself simply because employees understand the company’s mission. It must be continually communicated, demonstrated, and reinforced by leadership.
Even in a remote work environment, organizations can preserve and develop a healthy corporate culture when leaders make communication a deliberate and ongoing priority.
Ultimately, maintaining a shared sense of purpose requires more than technology or occasional meetings.
It requires leaders who are committed to bringing people together, aligning their efforts, and helping every employee understand how their work contributes to the organization’s larger mission.