How to Improve Your Organizational Culture

by Lisa Loehr

“A single leaf working alone provides no shade”  ~ Chuck Page

HR professionals working inside organizations are often asked by senior management to support the creation of a “good” company culture – independently sent off to define, develop, and deliver a silver-bullet program that ameliorates the organization’s morale issues while simultaneously boosting productivity.  Two shifts in thinking are required.  First, the culture of an organization is owned by everyone in the company – and led by the executive team, so shaping a culture starts with involvement by everyone.  Second, instead of considering culture as something “good” (which may support a right/wrong approach), consider promoting an aligned culture and then strengthen it.

When it comes to organizations there are many shapes and sizes; values and behaviors, along with other factors influencing what may ultimately become the defined culture of an organization – no two are alike, nor should they be.  Once an organization documents or professes a desired culture, actions by all should be aligned to support this culture to foster its maturity and strength.

Here are four (4) points to consider when embarking on a culture strengthening initiative:

1) Clear, Concise and Shared Vision

If you are uncertain where your organization is moving, it is difficult for staff to understand what is expected and how they contribute to success.  One role of the executive team is to develop a clearly stated vision along with a roadmap.  A shared vision does not necessarily mean all employees agree with the vision (while this would be nice), however, all employees must understand where their position fits into the vision, and how their day-to-day activities directly aligns to the organization’s success.

It is very natural for employees to be motivated to do a good job when they come into work each day – help them perform by clearly defining what the organization wants to achieve and what their role might be in that attainment.

2) Communication

Clear, prolific, open, top/down and lateral communication with respect to key business data is essential. This includes items such as changes in staff, finances, meeting goals/missing goals, and having regularly scheduled dialogue between managers and direct reports.  The more employees understand what is occurring real time in the organization, the more effective decision-making and teamwork they are able to exemplify.

Once multi-directional communication is flowing, a feedback loop to solicit ideas from staff (who are more frequently interacting with customers) is a great way to build upon success and demonstrate respect. Empower your employees to effectively assist the organization in goal achievement.

3) Focus on Integrity

It is essential to maintain integrity in the workplace and ensure that management is consistently honest with staff – even in the face of difficult news. Openness in communications and integrity in actions builds trust. Once trust is broken, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to reestablish.  Senior management should be sensitive and realize that breaches of trust in any area of the organization can lead to serious culture disintegration and therefore cannot be ignored.

De-emphasizing the negative and accentuating the positive should be the focus of the management team. Increasing emphasis on accomplishments, providing a sense of purpose and acknowledging efforts are job #1.

4) Work/Life Integration

Alot of data over the years demonstrates that employees who work with friends and family (including benefits such as on-site or near-site daycare) have increased attendance, improved job satisfaction, and yielded higher retention rates.  With increasing time spent at work (the Center for American Progress finds both men and women consistently working over the defined 40-hour work week), employers who help their staff learn to manage both their work and personal business in a new way will find themselves being rewarded with an employee who feels a greater sense of appreciation.

“Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard”  ~ Warren Bennis

When embarking on efforts to modify organization culture, consider recognizing that culture is the collective behavior of the people in the organization – judging (using the label “good or bad”) is implicitly judging your team.  Shifting to the notion of growing and defining your organization’s culture into a point of strength provides the opportunity to remove this judgment, and utilizing the four points above are a good place to begin this work.  Finally, organization culture is dynamic – as organizations grow, become more diverse, react to markets, and so on leaders need to expect the unexpected.

The work of providing a strong environment where values and behaviors are aligned with corporate goals requires regular evaluation – programs that were effective three years ago may no longer serve their purpose today.  New approaches and energy are important to provide an environment where employees thrive, organizations succeed, and a strong culture is maintained.

 


Lisa Loehr, Former VP, The Wilderness Society

LisaLoehrOrganizational culture is the collective spirit, energy, and behavior of the people within a company. We want our people to be aligned, excited about their work, being a true team. I asked Lisa to share her thoughts as she has a profound understanding of culture, with high standards. She has held high level human resource and operational positions in the corporate and not-for-profit fields, and now is an exceptionally able consultant.