I recently had a conversation with a colleague about culture in the workplace. Her firm is experiencing low morale, high turnover, and a general air of negativity. She asked me, “How can we create a positive culture and where do we begin?” For days after our conversation, her question still had me thinking. The words ‘culture’ and ‘values’ are always tossed around when organizations look to improve morale. Talking about it seems to make the issue more manageable and, in turn, seems to be a step in the right direction. But, is it? Is it even possible to ‘create’ culture?
In thinking about this topic, I actually looked up the word culture in the dictionary and found that most definitions don’t fall in line with how we describe culture in the workplace. Interestingly, the most relevant definition I found was in a British dictionary: the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action.
I think this simple definition provides the basis for a great start to creating a new culture. Employers should first consider who they are today. What are the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge? Which of these ideas, beliefs and values are worth building on and which ones are detrimental to the organization. As counterintuitive as it sounds, special attention should be paid to those values that are worthless. Why are they perpetuated and what can be done to ensure they are reversed?
Once the organization identifies which ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge are important, the real work begins and a new culture will begin to emerge.
1. Face the music!
Employers should take a hard look at their current problems and be up front about addressing them. When employees see problems confronted head on, they will begin to trust the organization to take care of them and will start to believe their employer has their best interest at heart.
2. Figure out who you want to be.
Collectively agree upon who you want to be and what you want to stand for. Then, make every action and every decision a reflection of this definition. As you move forward and progress, stop and regularly ask yourselves, is this in line with who we are and what we represent? Sometimes this means changing your original decision or making a hard choice. In the long run, if you allow your values to guide you, you won’t make many wrong decisions.
3. Hire the right people.
Rather than looking strictly at a resume and interviewing a candidate based on their experience, education, and skill set, consider asking questions that help you understand their motivations and values. Ask the candidate, what inspires them, what they love about their careers or what they find most draining in the workplace. Hiring the right people is the easiest way to ensure your culture is sustained.
4. Communicate.
This doesn’t mean just talking about culture and values. Talk about what is working and what isn’t working on a regular basis. Ask your employees how leadership is doing and what they could be doing better. Seek feedback and provide feedback. Be transparent.
5. Learn it. Know it. Live it.
Setting goals around your values shouldn’t just be about this quarter or next. And, it should more than something you have on a piece of paper or is part of your five year plan. In order to truly have a culture that is created, sustained, and one to be proud of, every member of the organization needs to understand it, recognize its importance, and LIVE IT.
At the end of the day, most people want to be proud of their ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge. We all tend to focus on our personal value system, why shouldn’t we invest more in our professional value system, as well?
