Keeping Company Culture in Your Sights

Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash

We’ve been talking about company culture, that ever present, though invisible force, that influences everything in an organization from hallway conversations to boardroom decisions. We discussed why, even though it’s so important, it’s hard for leaders to give attention to the cultural factors that influence their companies.

Today we’ll discuss what to do about it.

The first step, of course, is recognizing that cultural dynamics merit your attention. Although it would be more comfortable to keep your head in the clouds and look the other way, doing so means missing out on valuable opportunities to strengthen the company for the benefit of all stakeholders.

The second step is to gather data. Although it may seem less tangible than traditional business metrics, you can collect information that will give insight into the cultural dynamics at play in the organization. Employee engagement surveys, exit interviews, stay interviews and internal assessments are just a few ways to get information. We recommend integrating this data gathering into the routine operations of the company. This helps you maintain a constant awareness of company culture and track how it evolves over time.

Once you have gathered data, the third step is to dedicate time to review it and translate those findings into actionable insights. This is the most challenging part and requires discipline, humility, and follow-through. Here are a few tips to ensure success:

Involve employees: Staff at all levels of the company have valuable perspectives to offer. They are often able to interpret data in ways you won’t be able to due to your vantage point as a leader. This also creates shared ownership for any changes that are implemented.

Get outside assistance: Because you are so close to the situation, you will naturally     approach culture change with blind spots and assumptions. A trusted consultant will be  able to point out biases and patterns that you may won’t easily see.

Start small and make incremental improvements: Influencing culture takes time and      patience. Rather than trying to make big changes all at once. choose one or two focus areas. Then take intentional, sustained actions, and nurture progress over time. Check out our blogs about cultural capital and how to use it for more guidance on when and how to  make changes.

Communicate: The most well-intentioned efforts can backfire painfully if changes are not accompanied with communication. In the absence of information, employees will fill in the blanks, usually with a negative interpretation. Be prepared to communicate clearly, frequently, and be ready to answer their questions. Read our blog about communicating change for more tips on doing this effectively.

Think there’s more to your culture than meets the eye? You're probably right. Connect with G2 Solutions and we’ll explore it together.

Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash