Create a Culture to Achieve Your Goals
Although we work with clients to identify or change their workplace culture, we also talk to a lot of other business owners, managers and boards about workplace culture. For some of them the benefits can take a lot of convincing.
I think most of those we talk to think business is good and it probably is, but it could be better, it can always be better and I am convinced that changing your workplace culture is part of the puzzle in making business better. Without them experiencing it or seeing it for themselves it is difficult for them to understand and most importantly understand that business can be better – maybe they’ll never understand. I do think however that without the (maybe for some) buzz words ‘workplace culture’ business owners, manages, boards actually do know the answer of what culture or environment they need to achieve their goals but not sure how to articulate it and then make it actually happen.
When many business owners are thinking about a workplace culture they think about it as being positive or negative environment and how it feels. This for many can be a difficult concept to think about, but it’s more than that. Whilst a positive environment is part of it, think about it like this, what behaviours do we need to have to achieve our goals it makes more sense?
Organisational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs which governs how people behave and have a strong influence on people in the organisation. Organisational values are the core of an organisational culture. Any organisation can have values of; customer service, respect, honesty but so can everyone one else so how does that make you different and how does that achieve your goals – my guess is it helps but you need more right? Now, without knowing what your vision or goals are it is difficult to say but wouldn’t, for example, diversity, fast pace and innovation be more inspiring and meaningful to achieve a vision, of course, depending on what it is – after all, to be competitive it has to be unique to you. Have a think about; What you are trying to achieve? What are the behaviours at the moment that aid in achieving them? What are the inhibitors to achieving them? And what behaviours do you need to achieve them? The answer to these questions will hopefully make more sense to you to create, base or change your workplace culture on?
If you can have a think about these questions I have no doubt you will understand that workplace culture is more than a buzz word, it’s a valuable business tool. So, with a clear vision you’ll have strong employee engagement (as one of our team recently wrote about – A Clear Vision for Employee Engagement) and with strong values to support the vision you’ll have the right behaviours to create a positive environment that supports the achievement of your business goals – powerful!
You’ll benefit also from; reduced staff turnover, increased productivity and increase employee satisfaction. You’ll also attract potential candidates wanting to work for you, there’ll be open communication and low staff absences – all sounds good to me! You?
Here are some other related blogs about culture if you are wanting to understand it more – Create a Workplace Culture of Action; Why Those at the top should take a look at their Workplace Culture; Is Workplace Culture on your business agenda; Measuring Workplace Culture: Move Beyond People Watching; A leaders ultimate tool or ultimate downfall? And more.
At HR Business Direction we can help identify your workplace culture, determine the desired workplace culture and identify the gap and how to close the gap. Contact us here.
Leisa Messer BBus(HRM); GradDipIR; CAHRI; IRSQ
Managing Director | HR Strategist
leisa.messer@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
www.hrbd.com.au
