When was the last time you heard an employee remark something along the line of, “I really wish our business culture was more/less…”? People generally will look to the CEO or executive team to make the desired transformation materialize. While company leaders set examples for their workers, they cannot demand everyone to be enthusiastic about the same topics or behave in the same manner. The way employees see themselves, each other, and their work is at the heart of company culture. You won’t be able to develop a positive culture if your team isn’t invested in it.
When so much rests on the front line individuals, empowering them is crucial. Hiring top-tier talent is an essential first step, but even your most stalwart team members can turn negative and critical if they do not share the same values. According to Tanya Hall, here are a few basic techniques to inspire team members, regardless of title, to be cultural leaders.
Make culture discussions a priority
Perhaps employees’ concerns are simply gripes, ie. “Why can’t we have vending machines in our break room?” At times, a member of your team may point out disconnects between departments or express dissatisfaction with how conflict was handled. Even if the issue appears to be minor, view it through the prism of your company’s basic principles. If one individual isn’t seeing those principles lived out, it’s probable that others are feeling the same way but aren’t saying anything. For instance, when workers at our organization felt their departments were becoming increasingly separated from one another, a group of colleagues from several departments decided to spend Fridays working together in a conference room. The fad caught on, and we now have a lounge section dedicated to it.
When someone reaches you with a cultural issue, make sure you set aside the time and attention to help him or her think it through. If they don’t propose a remedy on their own, ask them how they would go about fixing it. You will assist them gain confidence to affect culture on a broad scale if you lay responsibility in the hands of the employee while offering your support as needed.
Encourage everyone to take the initiative
It may be instinctual for you and your C-suite team to take the lead on every company endeavor (exploring new service offerings, in-house initiatives, company events), but it is helpful, if not critical, to allow the rest of the team to take the lead as much as possible. My team members consistently spearhead new services that help our firm grow, and many of our finest company activities (chili cook-offs, potlucks, movie screenings) are fully employee-led. Divided big-picture duties among management and non-management alike validates each person’s importance to the company and allows everyone to add fresh accomplishments to their portfolios.
When you need to brainstorm a project or organize an event, try delegating it to someone who isn’t currently in a leadership position. Provide that person with the resources they require to organize others, develop a budget, and devote time away from their regular obligations. If you have some of the same activities or initiatives every year, rotate who leads them. This will distribute the effort and allow each of your staff to walk away from their day-to-day activities.
Encourage sociability
Encourage your staff to talk about something other than work. Sounds simple enough, but it’s easy to overlook when you’re caught up in the day-to-day grind. Employees are satisfied with the job when they know and trust their coworkers, and connections with leaders and co-workers help to build those ties. Throughout the year, participate with your staff in planning happy hours, team lunches, and corporate outings to solicit activity proposals from the team.
Though it may appear that leaders are solely responsible for business culture, they can only do so much. Employees at all levels must be involved for true, meaningful change to permeate your firm. Make certain that you are empowering your employees to create the improvements they desire at your firm.
ACT Consulting has been committed to helping businesses discover solutions to various challenges in the organization for over 15 years. ACT Consulting believes that deliberate initiatives are required to build, expand, and sustain an organization.
ACT Consulting International is committed to being your best partner in culture transformation by implementing a precise, quantifiable, and focused transformation on leadership & people, business, and culture.