Building Positive Organizational Culture
About a 6-minute read
When entering a new role or consulting with a client, I love hearing about an organization’s culture from different levels. If there are discrepancies in how leadership describes the culture compared to “lower” levels, that is a likely sign the culture is not as advertised. Conversely, consistency across organizational levels indicates a shared cultural experience. This is also a positive indicator that my work will generally be more impactful. There is less risk of wasted or abrupt directional changes, because having a ubiquitously engaging organizational culture reflects intentionality and shared values; there is thoughtfulness to the organization’s actions. These are the kinds of organizations capable of long-term success because of steadfast leadership and an approach that helps employees do their best work.
I am a believer that a positive and supportive culture, coupled with leaders aware of the challenges facing employees, are well-suited to get the most from each individual. I have seen firsthand how this type of culture creates positive outcomes for the organization and its people, and I have also seen how the absence of a positive organizational culture, or inconsistencies from area to area and level to level, can erode away the organization’s best people and, consequently, any positive outcomes. That is why, whenever I am building a team or working with a new group, I aim to take a people-first approach to ensure there is a positive culture created within the area or team that is, hopefully, reflective of the broader organizational culture. Here are some of the key components I find most effective in establishing a positive culture.
Respect for the Individual
Team members, department members, and those in the broader organization, are going to have different skillsets, personalities, and goals. As a leader, my goal is to get people into positions to be successful, and I cannot do that without understanding their skills, working style, and motivations. When effort is given to acknowledging the presence of these differences, understanding them, and then aligning that diversity toward appropriate pursuits, the organization is better positioned to be successful, and people will recognize this.
Create a Support Network
Any good organization is going to ensure its people never feel abandoned on an island. During interviews or introductions to new projects, when I hear talk about an active support system, there is an immediate change in demeanor where the individual or group facing the new challenge goes from focusing on uncovering the unknown to having a genuine confidence that no matter what the future holds, any obstacles will be overcome. That support network may never be tapped into, but the understanding it exists empowers teams and individuals to act more decisively and be curious. While having or needing support may come across as a crutch to some, it actually facilitates confidence and skill growth while also building a lineup of highly competent independent people.
Set Goals
Goals, simply, create alignment and reinforce purpose. We should never lose sight of “why” we are doing something, and in business settings, this often requires almost obnoxious repetition. Goal setting can be broken down at the individual, team, department, and organizational levels. For the individual, I am looking to uncover what someone is aiming to get from their work, whether that is something like knowledge enhancement or perhaps a promotion, and I can work to align them to a track that helps them toward goal attainment. Team goals may be delivery-based, like “we are going to deliver output ‘X’ so that project ‘A’ can stay on schedule, knowing that project ‘A’ supports a strategic initiative.” Jumping to the organizational level, a goal may exist as a strategic initiative like “Lower the barrier to online consumer engagement and new policy inquiry”, where objectives, projects, and sub-goals under the initiative umbrella help direct supporting efforts. This gives the organization and its people weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly measuring sticks for progress and achievement. Taking a less objective approach, organizational goals may target improving customer sentiment or achieving a certain community impact. Depending on the organization, something aspirational with a culture focus can be more impactful, giving everyone in the organization, regardless of role or title, something to rally around. Then, stepping back to department goals, those again may be initiative focused, or perhaps they have a lean toward onboarding new employees or delivering a targeted number of projects in a designated timespan. Ideally, there will be a degree of alignment from one level to the next with goals that provide meaningful purpose so that people know why they are doing what they do each day.
Maintain Perspective
Akin to respect for the individual, it is important as a leader to understand that work may not be a person’s identity. There are previous times where I invested so much effort and focus into my roles and trying to advance my career, that I came to only see myself as that role rather than a sum of the parts that make me who I am (i.e., hobbies, relationships, intrinsic motivations). As a leader, getting to know the people around me provided the enlightenment to see who they are as a complete package. When positive organizational culture provides a clear and consistent “why” behind the work, being able to help individuals better connect to that “why” by understanding their personal motivations creates an adaptive culture that makes room for everyone to connect with it.
It’s OK To Have A Lighthearted Demeanor
Lastly, it is acceptable to do serious work without being too serious. Strong organizations can expect good results without building a pressure cooker environment. Treating people respectfully, infusing some fun into the day, and establishing a welcoming, supportive environment will yield good things. Organizational culture is in the right place when individuals feel trusted, have opportunities to showcase their capabilities and discover new ones, and are allowed to enjoy what they do. Organizations can work toward this by having leadership delegate some decision making and trusting they have hired well to put good people in the right spots. Additionally, when big projects or new opportunities come around, perhaps they do not always go to the same people, allowing fresh faces to showcase the breadth and depth of their skills. Again, these are behaviors that people can recognize and appreciate. I know I always do.
Cases can be made that not all industries can take a heavy people-focused approach. This can be true and also means building an organizational culture should not be a one-size fits all approach. Organizational culture needs to be appropriate for the industry, but regardless of sector, it can still be a “people-appreciative” culture built upon pillars of support, consistency, and trust. Truthfully, if the culture is cultivating loyalty and lifting people up rather than an alternative, then it is probably leading to positive results for the individual and organization.
Featured Image: Shutterstock Standard License 2312446691 (Andrey_Popov)