Leaders who are on top of their organizations’ pulses have a competitive advantage. Why? Because the company’s culture may make or break its success or failure. A company’s culture is like its heart.
Leaders frequently fail to take culture into account until the workplace becomes dangerous. In the past few years, there have been several instances in the press about corporations that committed wrongdoing and then made it public. Almost invariably, the legends attributed the deeds to societies that tolerated, if not promoted, the practices. The firms’ reputations were tarnished, and employees and even society as a whole suffered as a result.
Companies that have mind-numbing jobs or executives that tolerate poor performance are not likely to endure. It was revealed in a 2019 research by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) that toxic work environments can lead to:
- Profits lost
- Productivity Drops
- depreciation of staff morale
The good news is that organizations with strong cultures have a distinct edge over their competitors. Employees are more committed to their organizations and jobs when they trust one another and feel appreciated. In addition, a company’s ability to compete and succeed rises when its employees are engaged.
Sustainable cultures provide the best advantage in the marketplace. These places of work aren’t simply healthful; they’re also productive. Organizations that have long-term cultures have a clear sense of their identity. A core part of corporate identity is the conviction that companies have a duty to contribute positively to society. Values guide decisions, and working with people and groups outside of the business is the norm.
Companies with sustainable cultures have an advantage in attracting people and are more financially successful in the long run than their less sustainable counterparts.
Because a company’s culture is so important to its success, savvy executives invest time and resources in learning about it. No time or money is required to receive an accurate picture of what’s going on in your company. Follow these steps to perform a fast CQ assessment:
1. Go Back And Reread Your Pieces.
The stories you tell reveal a lot about your past and current society. Consider the stories and lore that employees in your organization often regurgitate. What do they tell you about your working environment?
Consider the stories recounted by employees of a well-known transportation firm as an illustration. People who normally don’t get along collaborated effectively during the 9/11 catastrophe and Hurricane Sandy despite the distance between them. Those who put in long hours while sacrificing a great deal are portrayed as heroes in their narratives. It is clear from these myths that their society is founded on crises and hero worship.
Organizational executives reflected on whether or not their current culture supported long-term success. They looked at the qualities of their company that they felt would be beneficial in the future. Different scenarios depicting their future aspirations were concocted by them.
Once you’ve told your personal tales, evaluate if they reflect or are assessing the company culture you’ll need to achieve your long-term objectives and keep your stakeholders happy. After that, create narratives for what you want people will say about your company in the future. These tales paint a complete picture of the culture you want to be a part of in-depth.
2. Observe How Your Staff Perceives You In The Second Step.
Culture is heavily influenced by people’s opinions of the people in power. As a result, finding out how your workers see you is the second stage in analyzing your culture. Also, do not assume that you already know the solutions. Leaders frequently get their workers’ opinions wrong.
For example, a major multinational firm hired experts to figure out whether or not their corporate culture helped or hindered their purpose-driven sustainability plan. They reassured the consultants that everyone in their organization was aware of the pledges made by the company’s top-level executives. They recommended that the consultants concentrate on non-leadership components of the organization’s culture.
When the consultants assessed the company, they found mistrust among the workers. The leaders were stunned. Employees said that leaders’ actions did not match their verbal pledges. It doesn’t matter if the leaders have a bad image or not.
Consider setting up a discussion forum where employees may voice their opinions on what they’ve seen and what they’d want to see. If you have any reason to believe that they are untruthful because of a lack of trust, use an anonymous process. Set up a suggestion box or conduct a brief survey to get feedback.
3. Keep An Eye Out For Suspicious Actions.
The effects of culture can be seen in one’s conduct. Take note of how employees behave at events such as town halls or gatherings of cross-functional teams. Ask them if they have any queries. Do they share their thoughts on the matter? Do they go out of their way to find and listen to the opinions of others? Do they pose a threat to the existing order? Answering no to any of these questions indicates a possible trust issue inside your company.
Some quality-related problems were discussed by senior officials at an international automobile firm. They informed those gathered that they wanted to hear everyone’s views, regardless of how far they were from the mainstream. Attendees were mostly silent. When a few bold people dared to make recommendations that differed from the usual, the leaders fought with them and indicated that their suggestions were unworthy. When people behave in this way, it shows that the culture doesn’t encourage dissent or new ideas.
Some quality-related problems were discussed by senior officials at an international automobile firm. They informed those gathered that they wanted to hear everyone’s views, regardless of how far they were from the mainstream. Attendees were mostly silent. When a few bold people dared to make recommendations that differed from the usual, the leaders fought with them and indicated that their suggestions were unworthy. When people behave in this way, it shows that the culture doesn’t encourage dissent or new ideas.
You may decide to hire objective third parties to conduct a more in-depth assessment of your office environment at some time, and this is where Cultural Q comes in with its cultural intelligence training. They can conduct focus groups, perform surveys, or just watch and analyze actions as a part of their cultural intelligence assessment. In the meanwhile, do these four easy actions to get a picture of your present culture. To improve, you must first understand where you are currently at and take workplace culture consulting according to that.