It’s no secret that there are several obstacles that impair the long-term success of a startup. According to an article published today on Forbes.com, “the creation of a “good” startup culture is perhaps the single most important determinant of the long-term success of a founder and his or her startup.” Good culture leads to less supervision of employees, fewer mistakes, efficiency, and competitiveness. The article provides four tips on how to manage and evaluate a “good” startup culture.

1. Everyone should know how they should act under all conditions. The article emphasizes the importance of role models at each level of hierarchy. It should be clear what behaviors the founder praises, promotes, and pays attention to.

2. Tell everyone, individually and as a group, what makes them a role model, in public. The article promotes praising groups that have worked effectively together for their team behavior. Leaders need to constantly communicate with those they lead about what is working, what they are thinking, and what might or will change and why.

3. Evaluate the culture by asking open-ended questions about how things really work. Asking an open-ended question shows respect and gives insight to what is actually important to an individual. The leader will then know whether something is working according to the vision of the startup.

4. Keep the culture coherent when the enterprise grows quickly. The vision should be kept simple and be one that everyone will feel proud of being a role model for.

To read the full article, check out the following link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereklidow/2020/02/20/how-to-make-and-evaluate-a-good-startup-culture/#6afee8b516a7

For help with your startup’s legal needs, contact the Elon Law Small Business Clinic at businessclinic@elon.edu.