Work Culture

The term Work Culture is hugely attached to lives of all of us and may be that is why the term has become so commonplace. Ask any employee about the kind of company he/she wants to work with and you will definitely find 'good work culture' as one of his criteria in his wishlist. Ask any employer why should any employee work with him and the answer, in most of the cases, will have the phrase ' we have a good work culture'. Now what befuddled me was the meaning of the term - work culture. What in hell, or may be heaven, does the word work culture mean. Why is it so much talked about and why do people long for good work culture. Seems like offices with good work culture besides giving good salary doesnt demand any work or may be employees are allowed to come at any time and leave at any time they want or may be they are granted unlimited leaves every time they ask for it. But no, though workplace rules may deny all of the aforementioned things and yet the place may have a good work culture. I'd just like to share what I came to understand about work culture after working for 3 months in my workplace.

Why does anyone do a job....simple.. to earn money. So do your work, get your salary. Where does the 'good work culture' gets into picture. Well it gets in when our emotions come into action at the work place and being humans it is almost impossible to just block emotions from our response system.
Imagine:
You do your job sincerely and report it to your boss but you dont get back any reply or feedback Your boss not knowing what are you working on or if you were on a leave
Working in team where no one knows what the other team members did
And now imagine:
You do your job sincerely and report it to your boss and he discusses it with you, envisages problems attached with it, shares his experience with you or instilsl some more creative thoughts in you
Your boss asking you how far has your work progressed and discussing the problems you are facing
Working in a team so nicely gelled that you just feel at home though in office with them.

Well, if you imagined that and felt something in response you've got the meaning of work culture. Though I may have stretched the imaginations beyond practical limit, the work culture at any place will be tilted more towards either of the limits. Good work culture motivates people to work harder. It makes each and every employee feel that their contributions were valuable. Everyone feels a sense of attachment towards the work place. Everyone feels they are capable of doing something and are hence wanted. These feelings give pleasures which no other thing could give. Nothing!!

May be that is why work culture is so important.