How Can You Maintain Strong Company Culture During Rapid Growth?
In the fast-paced world of business, maintaining a strong company culture during periods of rapid growth or change can be a daunting challenge. In this article, top insights from seasoned CEOs and Founders will shed light on effective strategies to keep the company spirit alive and thriving. The first expert emphasizes the importance of clear communication and reinforcing core beliefs, while the final insight highlights the need to ensure clarity on mission, vision, and values. With a total of seventeen invaluable insights, this article offers a comprehensive guide to nurturing a resilient company culture.
- Communicate Clearly and Reinforce Core Beliefs
- Emphasize Consistent Communication and Core Values
- Enhance Open Communication to Maintain Culture
- Proactive Connection and Inclusivity Culture
- Consistent Communication and Reinforcing Values
- Integrate Core Values into Business Aspects
- Consistent Messaging Reinforces Core Values
- Zero In on Core Values
- Intentional Team-Focused Activities and Initiatives
- Leverage Reverse Selling and Amplify Cohesion
- Communicate Consistently and Integrate Core Values
- Organize Monthly Culture Cafes
- Transparency During Change is Crucial
- Acknowledge People Based on Facts
- Celebrate Small Wins Together
- Prioritize Communication and Core Values
- Ensure Clarity on Mission, Vision, and Values
Communicate Clearly and Reinforce Core Beliefs
During times of growth (or change, generally), my approach to a healthy company culture has been one of communication, but also doubling down on reinforcing core beliefs within my company. Growth can be exciting, but it can also create uncertainty. I make sure to communicate clearly and transparently about what is changing and why that matters to our team to help everyone stay aligned and engaged. This enables everyone to understand how their roles fit into the wider picture, promoting a sense of unity and purpose. I have also endeavored to embed our core values into each decision and process. From bringing on new people to making operational shifts, our values guide our decisions. This helps keep the culture grounded in what we always believe in, even as the company grows. For instance, during a time of rapid hiring, we improved our onboarding process to encompass not only training specific to the applicant's role but also an immersion in our mission and our values. That helped us preserve a unified culture as the team expanded rapidly. Another key part of this has been creating ways to connect across teams. Then with growth and often complexity, silos creep in very quickly. In order to solve this, I regularly organize team-building activities and initiate cross-departmental projects. These foster relationships, enable idea sharing and keep employees connected to the company's shared vision. Even small initiatives, such as hosting the occasional virtual meet-up or celebrating milestones together, really help to maintain a strong culture. The most important lesson learned: Culture doesn't create itself. It has to be done, actively and purposefully and especially when there is growth or change. My advice to other leaders is that you have to be super consistent about reinforcing your values, prioritizing connection for your people and being intentional about making sure every single change is consistent with the values of your company. And if you can keep culture front and center, you can grow up without losing your soul.
Emphasize Consistent Communication and Core Values
To cultivate a healthy company culture during fast growth, one strategy I've relied on is emphasizing consistent communication and continual reinforcement of core values through each step of the expansion process. But with growth comes new challenges, such as rapid onboarding of new employees and developing processes over time. In our efforts to preserve our culture, I devote my time to ensuring that our values and mission are front and center of everything we do. For example, in my previous company, we were growing very quickly, and I created an onboarding process aligned with our values. New hires didn't merely learn job-specific skills. They were walked through our company's story, its mission, and the principles that guide everything we do. Using real examples, we illustrated how these values guide decision-making and interactions at all levels of the organization. This philosophy provided clarity that culture is a top priority even during periods of hyper-growth. I also initiated regular "culture check-ins" with employees to solicit feedback and respond to concerns in real-time. These meetings provided a forum for open conversation, encouraging members of the p-team to share what was working, and what wasn't as we grew. That feedback helped us adapt practices so that the growth strategies aligned with the company's cultural underpinnings. One of the most effective steps taken was staying transparent. I hosted regular town hall meetings to inform employees of changes, challenges, and goals. Being transparent about the "why" behind decisions and including the team in the process helped us establish trust and solidify the feeling that every employee was an integral part of our journey. To business leaders experiencing rapid growth, I suggest embedding culture into every decision and process. Provide for transparency during times of change, hire for values alignment, and solicit feedback to keep employees connected to and invested in the organization. When culture is honored as a pillar of scale, it can grow with the company, resulting in a more engaged and motivated staff.
Enhance Open Communication to Maintain Culture
During a period of rapid growth at my tech company, we focused on enhancing open communication to maintain our culture. We created a weekly "Ask Me Anything" session where leadership addressed employee questions in real time. This helped build trust and kept everyone aligned during fast changes. For example, when we launched a new product line, frontline teams shared feedback that improved processes we hadn't considered. Giving employees a voice made them feel valued and strengthened our teamwork. Clear communication and genuine listening kept our culture intact while navigating the challenges of scaling up.
Proactive Connection and Inclusivity Culture
My company's approach to maintaining a strong culture during rapid growth has been to emphasize the importance of proactive connection and inclusivity culture. In fast-growth companies, it can be easy for employees to feel disconnected, or for original cultural values to become lost in the hustle and bustle. To avoid this, I established structured programs and practices that kept everyone aligned and engaged. To give another example, I introduced cross-departmental mentorships, allowing new hires to engage with long-standing employees on both a personal and professional level. This built a sense of community and gave employees the opportunity to learn from one another and demonstrate our values in their day-to-day lives. It also helped break down silos that can develop during rapid growth and ensured that everyone felt like part of some team. A second strategy I implemented was to formalize recognition programs to celebrate employee contributions that aligned with our core values. Whether via peer-nominated awards or shout-outs in leadership meetings, acknowledging when people are actively embodying the culture helped build buy-in and reinforce its importance across the organization. This practice ensured that our values were alive and visible in the midst of change, proving to employees that culture is not just talk, it's shown in practice. For transparency, I conducted regular company-wide meetings, during which leadership provided updates on the growth process, fielded employee inquiries, and re-emphasized the importance of culture in our success. These meetings provided an opportunity to address concerns head-on and preserve confidence when steering through change. The lesson for me is that culture needs to be managed and nurtured actively during times of rapid growth. It's not sufficient to just hope that it will continue on its own. If you create connection, acknowledge values-driven actions, and communicate openly, your culture will be all the stronger as your organization grows. For other leaders, I suggest concentrating on systems that promote engagement and alignment while remaining grounded in your company's core principles.
Consistent Communication and Reinforcing Values
A strategy I have employed to uphold a strong company culture during high growth is emphasizing consistent company communication and reinforcing our values at all levels throughout the organization. When you're growing quickly, that can often water down a company's secret sauce, so it's been my mission that our mission, vision and values are top of mind in every decision and every interaction. While we were scaling quickly, we set up regular all-hands meetings to communicate updates and keep the ship moving in the same direction. These meetings are opportunities to bring a team up-to-date on growth milestones, highlight success stories, and reinforce how all roles play a part in the larger mission. Transparent communication keeps employees on the same journey of the entity, providing them with a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Another important practice was weaving our core values into our hiring process and onboarding programs. We ensured that every new employee understood not only what they would be doing, but the cultural principles behind it. This alignment from the beginning kept our growing team in line as the numbers grew. We also created employee recognition programs to amplify the actions that reflect our culture. As an illustration, we wanted people to know about a peer-nominated award we created for people who go the extra mile in embodying our values. The need for cultural identity remained strong, and recognizing and celebrating these efforts helped endure through the changes. My guidance to others is to be intentional about embedding your company's values into every element of the business, from hiring to daily operations. Routinely describe your vision and allow for feedback so employees know they are involved and that their views are considered. Focusing on culture as your foundational priority enables you to address growth without compromising what inspires you and what your company is all about.
Integrate Core Values into Business Aspects
One approach I've taken to maintain a strong company culture during rapid growth is ensuring that the company's core values are deeply integrated into every aspect of the business. When I was scaling my telecommunications company, the rapid addition of employees threatened to dilute the culture we had worked so hard to build. To counter this, I established a "Culture Integration Program" that involved onboarding sessions, regular workshops, and open forums for employees to align with our mission and values. For example, we implemented a mentorship system where longer-serving employees became culture ambassadors, helping new team members embrace our customer-first approach and innovative mindset. This program wasn't just lip service, it created a sense of belonging and accountability among all staff, no matter how quickly we grew.
My experience as a business coach and entrepreneur with an MBA in finance allowed me to identify the pitfalls of rapid scaling, particularly around team cohesion and communication. Drawing on insights from the 675 entrepreneurs I studied, I recognized that culture isn't built from a policy, it's reinforced through leadership and everyday actions. I made it a point to be visible and approachable as a leader, holding quarterly Q&A sessions where employees could voice concerns or suggest improvements. The result was a workforce that not only adapted to change but thrived in it, with employee retention and productivity metrics improving by over 20 percent during a two-year growth phase.
Consistent Messaging Reinforces Core Values
Driving clear and consistent messaging that reinforces our core values is one approach I've used to instill a strong company culture and successfully navigate rapid growth. When a company is growing at a rapid pace, it is very easy for teams to be left in the dark or feel that they are out of touch with the bigger picture. To avoid that, I try to always keep alignment in the company by explaining our mission, vision, and values in a way everyone understands and believes. When we recently went through a period of growth, I made the decision to hold regular town hall meetings where I could share updates with the entire team on progress, challenges, and wins. These sessions provided not only information but also reinforced our culture and included stories and examples of how people demonstrated our values in their roles. This practice kept everyone grounded in our purpose and confident that their contributions mattered. Another crucial strategy was investing in leadership training for managers across all tiers of the organization. When companies grow rapidly, new challenges often come up for leaders, and I wanted to make sure they were prepared to foster and model our culture and sustain its benefits over time. We equipped managers with these tools and training to help them understand the importance of empathy, communication, and team building that helped them connect with their teams, address concerns early, and empower people to do their best work. I facilitated cross-functional collaboration through team projects as well as casual meetups. This helped eliminate silos and allowed employees to build relationships with colleagues they might not otherwise work with. These connections became important to our sense of community despite the growing organization. What I learned is that when you grow, keeping culture takes intent and action. All are vital: all communication, leadership development, and opportunities to connect. For leaders who may be struggling with the same issues, I advise regularly communicating your values in all your decisions and practicing openness with employees to help them feel like they are heard, valued, and appreciated. When your team is connected to the company's purpose and to one another, you're able to scale and grow without sacrificing the culture that differentiates your organization.
Zero In on Core Values
One approach that has been really pivotal for us in keeping a strong culture during fast-paced change is really zeroing in on our core values. As a company, we spent a lot of time early on defining the principles that guide us-things like embracing challenges, acting with integrity, and putting people first.
But it's one thing to have values on paper, and it's another thing to live them day to day. Especially in times of major growth or disruption, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the chaos and let those fundamentals slip.
And as a CEO, I've worked very hard to ensure our values remain top of mind, regardless of what comes our way. That begins with me modeling them in every decision and interaction. But it also means empowering our entire team to do the same.
We regularly highlight examples of employees who embody our values. We weave them into everything from onboarding to performance reviews. And crucially, we celebrate and reward people not just for what they achieve, but how they achieve it.
By making our values a constant reference point-a North Star that guides us through change and complexity-we reinforce the behaviors and mindsets that define who we are as an organization. And that, in turn, helps preserve the essence of our culture even as we evolve.
The key is that a strong culture is not something you just set and forget. It's a daily practice, a shared commitment you have to actively nurture. When you do that, you build resilience to navigate twists and turns. Because your culture becomes your anchor-keeping you steady and true to yourself in the midst of transformation.
Intentional Team-Focused Activities and Initiatives
To help keep a culture strong during some enormous growth, I've focused on very intentional team-focused activities and initiatives that reinforce the fabric of our common values and relationships. When new team members join quickly, it is easy for employees to feel disconnected and fall into a trap of complacency. We've been able to maintain our culture, even as the company grows, by creating opportunities for connection and collaboration. For instance, in a period of particularly rapid hiring, we launched monthly "culture syncs," in which both new and more seasoned employees gathered for a combination of informal team-building exercises and conversations about our foundational values. These gatherings also generated a sense of continuity, keeping everyone aligned with the company's mission, as well as developing stronger interpersonal bonds. Whether by sharing a recent success story related to our values or collaborating on potential solutions for how to tackle challenges, these sessions helped keep our culture top of mind.
Another core practice was the functioning of culture ambassadors, employees who embodied our values and were able to mentor new hires. These ambassadors helped new team members to settle in, so they could really feel supported and know how important our culture is. This approach contributed to preventing growing pains from overwhelming our sense of community. If you want to know how to maintain culture as you grow, one thing you should definitely do is listen to your team. We also issued pulse surveys to get a sense of how employees were feeling about the culture and what improvements they'd like to see. This enabled us to make educated decisions and iteratively adjust our approach in response to what the team needed.
For others experiencing growth pains, my advice is to be intentional about benefiting from culture. Don't assume it will automatically follow through as you grow, be intentional about establishing connections, reinforcing values, and creating space for your employees to share their experiences. Culture isn't merely the bedrock, it's an ongoing living entity that requires nurturing through every growth stage of a company.
Leverage Reverse Selling and Amplify Cohesion
In navigating rapid growth at Rocket Alumni Solutions, I found that leveraging reverse selling in our B2B operations was key. By inviting school administrators to workshops to discuss their alumni engagement challenges, we benefited from direct insights while building trust. This approach wasn't just about winning clients; it helped us foster a culture of listening and learning, critical as we scaled from a high school project to a 500-school client base.
Another vital strategy was amplifying team cohesion through employee-led initiatives. We launched wellness programs where team members could lead activities like yoga or mindfulness workshops. This encouraged ownership, built a stronger team culture, and was crucial in maintaining morale as we expanded our operations and adjusted to new market demands.
Finally, maintaining transparency through open communication was essential. Regular updates on company goals and challenges ensured everyone felt informed and part of the decision-making process. This openness built a supportive environment, which was crucial when I transitioned from investment banking to full-time entrepreneurship.
Communicate Consistently and Integrate Core Values
Today, I still help the business create a stronger culture as we start to grow, to communicate more consistently at each critical point, repeat the same values, and purely integrate them all. Rapid growth can foster ambiguity or disconnection among the workforce, so making sure no group forgets the venture's mission and vision is key. I instituted regular all-hands meetings in which leadership shares updates on growth, celebrates victories, and addresses challenges. These need-based meetings promote inclusivity and allow everyone to be heard. I also encourage employees to ask questions and share feedback, which helps build trust and transparency. Another key aspect has been integrating core values into all aspects of operations. In our onboarding, we cover our values and what they look like in practice (day-to-day). We acknowledge and reward employees who embody these values, thus sending a message about their importance and inspiring other employees to do so. Empowering employees to take ownership of their work has been crucial during times of change. Team members participate in decision-making and lead initiatives consistent with our culture. This instills a sense of shared purpose and strengthens their bond with the company. An action I recommend is creating a culture committee focused on the preservation and adaptation of the culture as we grow. This team can plan activities, advocate for inclusion, and combat cultural challenges. Engaging employees in a culture effort shows that it's a collaboration rather than something dictated from on high. The greatest lesson I've learned is that culture needs to be attended to and reinforced every day, especially in times of change. If you want to maintain that strong, unifying culture within your company no matter how much you grow, you need to keep communicating, represent your values, and involve your team.
Organize Monthly Culture Cafes
When Spaciously grew from 5 to 25 people, I started organizing monthly "Culture Cafes" where team members take turns sharing their heritage through food and stories while we discuss company updates. It's amazing how these casual gatherings have naturally evolved into our most productive strategy sessions, with everyone feeling comfortable enough to share honest feedback and creative ideas.
Transparency During Change is Crucial
At ShipTheDeal.com, I discovered that transparency during change is crucial, so I started sharing weekly video updates about our challenges and victories, even the uncomfortable ones. When we shifted to remote work last year, these honest conversations helped maintain trust and actually improved team engagement, as people felt more invested in our shared journey.
Acknowledge People Based on Facts
These methods should be used by companies regardless of the stage of growth. During periods of rapid growth they should be used daily.
The first is to acknowledge people based on the facts and tell them how they made a difference for a customer, a colleague or the company. When you only offer compliments, people tend to not internalize the positive feedback because they know it's just your opinion. However, with a fact-based acknowledgment that specifies how they made a difference, people will sit up straighter, take more ownership and initiative and remain loyal to the company.
The second method is to communicate and negotiate expectations clearly, concisely and continually. This sets people up for success in advance. People want to be successful at work so please give them the details and deadlines they need. Once you have established the expectations it's important to use this third method.
I call these "interim checkpoints." Instead of waiting until the due date has come and gone wait only a few hours after your meeting to negotiate expectations. Circle back and ask questions. For example, "now that you've had a few hours to think about this project do you have any concerns? Do you anticipate any obstacles I can help remove?" People most want to be successful at work. Help them by engaging them consistently and effectively. The next day circle back early and ask, "Are you on track to meet our first deadline tomorrow at 3 pm?" Or, "what can I do to help ensure you can meet our first deadline tomorrow?" This ensures they are clear that you are committed to their success and the deadlines.
All of these can be used with all your direct reports on a daily basis. You might want to push back and say, "if I engage them at these levels I won't be able to get my work done." However, during periods of rapid growth this is your work. If you are in a leadership role you should not waste the company's time and resources acting in your comfort zone as if you are still an individual contributor. By engaging, encouraging, and empowering your people you are unlocking the secrets to organic growth.
Celebrate Small Wins Together
As we grew KC Property Connection, I found that celebrating small wins together, like our first multi-property deal, helped keep our core values intact while bringing new team members into the fold. I make it a point to have monthly team lunches where we not only discuss business but share personal victories too, which has really strengthened our bonds even as we've doubled our team size.
Prioritize Communication and Core Values
For example, to keep a strong cultural identity during rapid expansion, one method I've used in the past is to prioritize communication and to incorporate our core values in every step of the expansion process. When an organization is on the fast track to growth, the culture can easily take a backseat while attention is focused on scaling operations and bringing new employees into the fold. And to avoid this happening, I made sure our values were the basis for every decision we made, especially hiring and team structure.
One particular initiative we implemented was developing a values-driven onboarding process. Each new hire goes through a cultural orientation, where we talk about our mission, our core values, and how they impact what we do day to day. This helps new employees understand how their role fits into the big picture and reinforces the behaviors and mindset that we want to see. It also helps to give new hires a personal connection to the company and ensure that the culture makes its way through.
The other critical element has been encouraging open communication. We have regular town hall meetings to communicate changes and growth plans to the team, giving the opportunity for feedback and questions. This transparency generates feelings of connection to the company's vision and builds trust, even in times of uncertainty. We also conduct employee surveys to track morale and look for areas where we might be drifting apart from our cultural alignment.
To keep our growth in alignment, we also doubled down on acknowledging and rewarding behaviors that demonstrate our values. For instance, we recognize team members who excel in helping the rest of the team or who exemplify innovation. This keeps our values at the forefront, ensuring they are actionable and not abstract.
The other head coach advice I have for leaders is to make your culture non-negotiable. Growth and change are inevitable, but culture is a decision! Embedding it into hiring, onboarding, and day-to-day practices and keeping an open dialogue about it will guarantee your culture maintains its strength within the company and continues to fuel your success.
Ensure Clarity on Mission, Vision, and Values
I turn up the heat in a few areas when we are pushing through growth or change initiatives. The first is ensuring we are clear on the MVVs - that is the Mission, the Vision and the core Values of the organization. It's a great time to bring these phrases and list out, dust them off (but try not to let them get dusty in the first place), and tie them to every single role. These are moments to 'rally the troops' if you will. As a leader, if we talk about why we exist, who we are serving, and how each role has an impact, we can put a surge of energy back into our business. The second step is to focus on connection. When we are pushing hard, we tend to keep our heads down and many times forget about the people to our right and to our left. This means we are likely tripping over each other to get to the finish line. I recommend putting intentional connection time in place, whether those are touch base calls, meetings, IMs, or whatever makes sense in your business to keep each other in the loop and remind ourselves we are working with other smart, capable people who are carrying the load with us.
