Why should organizational culture matter to you? If you don't get an immediate response, it likely means this topic isn't getting much attention from your leadership team. You may even think that culture is one of those "soft" aspects of business that doesn't drive results.
The truth is, your business already has a culture, whether it was intentionally created or not. For culture to be a priority, you must personally invest in it and understand that it does indeed have an effect. A positive culture can boost results, while a negative culture can depress them.
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Why culture?
Culture has become a buzzword in recent years due to the increased emphasis on branding and picture. Cultures that are fun-loving or social-minded get a lot of attention; we've all seen popular companies with things like creative office spaces, gourmet coffee bars, an environmental approach, and individual giving.
Many companies use these benefits and social programs to attract young employees to difficult jobs. Doing data analysis all day might not be the sexiest job, but getting a free soy latte helps you get the edge. Culture has emerged as a way to attract and retain employees and customers.
The biggest mistake leaders make when trying to change their company's culture is to force something that doesn't fit. not to reality. The culture must have a strong and meaningful foundation and have leadership support. Putting a ping pong table in the office is not going to change the culture on its own if the culture is already well established.
I once worked with a CEO who was an extremely critical micromanager. You can imagine the kind of culture that created. If she had suddenly decided that her business was going to be a cool, laid-back place to work, it would have been very difficult to execute. The atmosphere was so severe that instead of embracing a new culture, employees simply waited for the other shoe to drop.
Creating a company culture that stays in place begins with clarity of values. If you know what your company stands for, you can translate those values into a culture. The key is to reinforce these values internally so everyone on the team understands what and the Why -as well as Comment to execute work that supports these ideals.
Here are six steps to creating and sustaining a culture that sticks:
1. Understand your core values.
Identify the three to five most important principles for your business. Then identify how these core values can become mission-driven and how they can influence the way you work. When you're implementing values at the practical level, you can start to say, “This is how we do it. This is the XYZ path. »
2. Do a cultural audit.
To get where you want to go, understand where you are starting from. First do an internal assessment to see how your core values are implemented and demonstrated (or not) in each department. Then look from an external perspective to see how customers and potential employees perceive your organization.
3. Look for the gaps.
And identify what it will take to close them. The core values expressed by senior management may be so far removed from those of the company that you need to go back to square one. Or you may just need to make small adjustments. For example, if the accounting department lets calls go to voicemail and doesn't model your "customer service" value, you can easily implement a change where someone answers those calls directly.
4. Evaluate leadership.
If your culture is toxic, the leadership team needs to conduct a serious self-examination, whether it's a 360° assessment or the presence of an outside facilitator . Many times leaders can be blind to their own shortcomings, especially if they've built a successful business and most employees are tolerant. A culture that adheres starts at the top, not only with respect to adherence but also with implementation.
5. Start small first.
Start implementing small changes that align with the values listed and fill in the identified gaps. Trying to do everything at once will only lead to failure and frustration. Make the change in digestible chunks, spreading it out over several months.
6. Keep it under control.
For any cultural change to stick, you need to be consistent. Make monthly, weekly, or even daily efforts to support the new culture and check how progress is going. Give your team tools to reinforce the values on their own. One of my clients, for example, came up with an acronym that describes his core values. It is used internally and allows the team to recall its cultural underpinnings in all situations.
Changing a culture is truly a dynamic process because what it means to you and your employees can change over time. You can undertake this type of initiative when you want to strengthen your brand or improve your ability to attract top talent. Whatever the reason, create an implementation plan and execute it methodically for success.
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