Shared Goals

• An ideal workplace is home to employees and managers who share some of the same basic goals. This doesn't mean that everyone in the workplace agrees on every issue. Rather, it refers to the fact that workers in an ideal workplace culture understand what the organization's goals are and what roles they play in reaching them. Dissent is actually more productive when members of a workforce understand that they are all working toward the same mutually beneficial goals, as defined by leaders in the workplace.
  
  

Accountability

• Accountability is an essential characteristic of any successful workplace. Without a culture of accountability, workers may be inclined to avoid blame for poor decisions or past mistakes rather than embracing them and learning from them. When some workers are held to more relaxed accountability standards than others, it can create a sense of unfairness and favoritism, which hurts morale and fosters resentment among colleagues. Accountability begins at the top with upper management taking responsibility for its own decisions and stating the expectation that workers at all levels do the same.
  
  

Mutual Respect

• Workplace culture can only improve when individual workers feel mutual respect for one another. Consistent and appropriate hiring decisions can help start the process by ensuring that all workers are competent. Training in areas such as diversity, sexual harassment and business ethics can help create a culture of respect where workers are willing to listen to one another and tolerate differences. Mutual respect also aids effective communication and makes employees feel valued, which increases loyalty.
  
  

Openness to Change

• An ideal workplace also includes an attitude of openness to change. This is especially important in a business that relies on a traditional model of operation or includes many experienced, senior-level employees. A tendency to rely on methods that were successful in the past can be comforting, but may not drive the organization forward as a whole. A culture of openness in which employees are willing to listen to new opinions and incorporate new knowledge promotes continuing growth and innovation, which is a key to success in any workplace.