Understanding Workplace Culture: Our Approach
Workplace culture plays a pivotal role in shaping an organization's success, employee engagement, and overall satisfaction. It encompasses the norms, rituals, practices, and behaviors that define how work is conducted and how individuals feel about their organization. In this blog post, we will delve into workplace culture, explore its significance, highlight how Loeb Leadership assists organizations in navigating culture change, and address frequently asked questions regarding workplace culture and its transformation.
What is Workplace Culture, and How Does It Differ from Fringe Benefits and Perks?
Simply put, workplace culture is the collection of norms, rituals, practices, and behaviors that are encouraged and rewarded (both intentionally and unintentionally), defining how the work gets done and how people feel about the organization. A culture affects someone's long-term level of engagement and emotional connection to an organization.
Unlike culture, fringe benefits and perks are often intended to affect someone's satisfaction and thus have little influence over one's engagement or emotional connection to an organization. Satisfaction is easily manipulated and hard to sustain long-term using benefits and perks. However, suppose benefits and perks are an authentic extension of a positive culture, meaning they are designed to reinforce the culture's promise. In that case, they can further strengthen one's emotional connection to an organization.
What are some examples of norms, rituals, practices, or behaviors that influence culture?
A positive example would be employees who commonly gather in the cafeteria at lunch to eat together and enjoy each other's company. This ritual adds to the positive fabric of an organization's culture. Another example could be frequent and open feedback sessions between leaders and staff. If these are done consistently and well, they can positively impact culture.
A common example of a behavior that negatively impacts culture is encouraging revenue generation at any cost. In these cultures, aggressive or toxic behavior can be tolerated or even embraced, which sends a strong message as to what it will be like to work there - regardless of what the organization messages externally to attract talent.
Why is it important for leaders to invest in culture?
Every organization has a culture. The question is whether your culture is helping or hindering your organization's ability to succeed. Cultures that help an organization and its people require intentionality—a plan. If you don't have an intentional plan to foster the culture you want and need, then you're unknowingly permitting an unintentional culture to form. Unintentional cultures usually reflect everything the organization has grown to tolerate, which is typically not a winning recipe for success.
Why is changing workplace culture so complex?
In theory, it's quite simple. Owners or leaders of an organization decide what kind of feeling they want their people to have when they are at work and engaging with each other. Then, they put expectations, policies, and an infrastructure that encourages and rewards that aspiration.
What makes it complicated is the history of each organization. All our culture clients have been around for some time, and therefore there are existing rituals, behaviors, and norms that people have become accustomed to (and sometimes emotionally connected). These can be challenging to reform — not to mention there are often people who are naturally skeptical and resistant to change, so culture change becomes a personal or emotional issue for them. The work can be complex, but it’s well worth doing.
How does Loeb Leadership help support organizations that are looking to change culture?
The most important thing we do is meet our clients where they're at. Every organization is at a different point on the cultural journey… Some haven't given it any thought, while others are deep into a cultural transformation. It's important to respect each client's reality. That said, we generally provide a sequence of activities to help launch a culture transformation:
Assemble a culture change team: Bringing together a dedicated team of individuals passionate about driving culture change is crucial. This team will spearhead the transformation efforts and ensure alignment throughout the organization.
Get clarity and alignment on the culture they want: Clearly defining the desired culture and gaining alignment among key stakeholders is essential. This involves articulating the values, behaviors, and norms the organization aims to foster.
Cascade the culture story throughout the organization: Communicating the culture story to all employees is vital for creating awareness and building a shared understanding. This can be done through various channels, such as town hall meetings, internal communications, and workshops.
Assess the current state to understand how complex the transformation might be: Assessing the existing culture helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This evaluation provides insights into the level of complexity involved in the culture change process.
Identify current best practices and areas for opportunity: Analyzing successful cultural practices within the organization and identifying areas where improvements can be made are crucial steps. This information serves as a foundation for designing effective strategies and initiatives.
Design and execute an action plan: Developing a comprehensive action plan that outlines specific initiatives, timelines, and responsibilities is essential. This plan should address key areas for improvement and align with the desired culture.
Train leaders on implementing and reinforcing beneficial cultural practices: Leaders play a vital role in shaping and sustaining culture. Providing them with training and support on implementing and reinforcing desired cultural practices ensures their effectiveness as culture champions.
Remeasure and refine: Regularly assessing and measuring progress is crucial to gauge the impact of culture change initiatives. This feedback allows for adjustments and refinements to be made along the way, ensuring continuous improvement.
What if I need more time to be ready to change my entire organization radically?
That's okay. Our clients' needs differ significantly based on their level of sophistication around culture and change management, and we understand that not every organization is ready to go "all in" on culture work. Our first course of action is always to have an exploratory call to understand a client’s specific needs and then design a relevant intervention based on their readiness and requirements.
Is there a discreet intervention you offer around culture work?
We offer a workshop on culture fundamentals. This workshop is ideal for organizations in the early stages of culture change and who would like to establish a shared language and understanding of culture across the organization. Additionally, we assist in executing specific activities such as management or feedback training and leadership coaching. These interventions are designed to address identified areas for improvement and support organizations in their culture change journey.
Workplace culture is a powerful force that shapes organizations and impacts employee engagement, satisfaction, and overall success. Loeb Leadership recognizes the significance of culture and provides tailored approaches to assist organizations in their culture change efforts. By investing in intentional culture development, organizations can foster positive work environments, enhance employee engagement, and drive long-term success. Whether it's through assembling culture change teams, defining the desired culture, cascading the culture story, or implementing action plans, Loeb Leadership is committed to helping organizations navigate the complexities of culture change and create thriving workplaces. For more information, Contact Us today.