Focus on building a culture to achieve the organisation’s mission.

“Coffee session with the managers.” We often hear this sentence at work.
It certainly sounds like we are being rewarded for our hard work with a delicious cup of hot coffee.

Alas, what it really means is that we are being invited to the manager’s room to have a list of our mistakes printed and read to us.

We sit there helplessly, listening to the “charges” placed against us. Maybe we could have done better? Perhaps we should have followed the book without trying anything new?

We half-heartedly sign the “performance improvement form” as these thoughts race through our head.

And we didn’t even get the damn coffee!

Yes, this is the kind of culture we live in. We are guided on how to do our job upon joining an organisation. People are friendly to welcome us, colleagues look out for us, and managers ask if we are coping well. During this “honeymoon period”  it feels like a dream job.

After weeks on the job, we realise that some people only do their routine tasks. Some of these are redundant.

Upon clarifying with the seniors whether there is a need to be actually doing certain things, the reply is usually something along the lines of “We have been doing that for years!”.

As new staff members, we can often see things from a different perspective.
Firstly, seniors who have been working there for a long time tend to do the routine from their muscle memory.

This means that they are not even thinking whether there is a real need to do a certain thing; they are just carrying out the tasks they have been doing for years. But there is always more than one way of doing things. Management ought to know that.

However, they can be too fixated on the pattern that they fail to see other more accessible paths that can lead them to their goals.

When staff members try something new, they are sometimes reprimanded as if they were committing murder. Sounds drastic, but in reality, that is what the environment is like. Managers prioritise their organisation’s goals over everything else, often making things more difficult for everyone in the process and thus damaging the organization itself.

Putting the company first sounds great, but let’s zoom in and see what happens.

Since the focus is on the company’s goals, managers treat staff like workers who are paid to do their job. Which is exactly how staff will act. They will only do the basic necessities they need to do to avoid getting fired and won’t see the point in contributing to the organisation in a meaningful way.

Staff will enter their workplace with the intention of leaving work as soon as possible. When the staff is not performing well, the management first thinks of replacing the “underperforming” team.

This might cause the staff to feel like all their efforts are fruitless. Even a loyal staff member would leave the company if they felt degraded. How important is the organisation’s goal that it has to be achieved at the expense of the staff’s mental health?

Let us take a step back and reflect on why an organisation exists.

Cultural norms wrap around a sense of purpose, cause, or belief.

Great organisations understand their just cause. A cause so just that people would be willing to make sacrifices to see the advancement of the cause. Sacrifice comes in many forms.

It could be working long hours, giving the higher-ups the best ideas, or turning down a better job that offers us more money because we believe in what the organisation is doing, so that we can see the company advance.

Hence, there is a need for staff to feel connected to the organisation.

Anyone can step into the office daily and do the needed tasks for the day and leave work ticking everything off their to-do list. What separates dedicated staff from ordinary staff is WHY they do what they are supposed to do.

The higher management always emphasises, “Our clients are our priority.”
When was the last time you ever saw a CEO talking to a client? It never happens.

Yet that is the message being drilled into every staff member.

How can staff learn to prioritise a client when they have never seen the boss interacting with one?

Take hospitals, for example. Hospital administrations mention that their patients are the priority. But they never speak to the patients themselves. Contradicting, isn’t it? But that is how it has been for decades.

How does a company expect to grow when its priorities are wrong?

An employee that feels valued in their job will go the extra mile to resolve things even without being asked by higher management. She will put in all her effort, even after she has completed her tasks, to find ways to facilitate the company’s growth.

An employee whose voice is being heard in the company will explore more possibilities and go the extra mile in the organisation’s interests.

Many companies have an environment where staff members are scared to admit their shortcomings. They need to hide facts from the management for fear of getting fired. They do not feel safe to grow in that environment, and eventually, the staff ends up throwing in the towel.

It’s the leadership that is responsible for setting the environment.
Get the environment right, and you get a cooperative team.
Get the environment wrong; you are forcing people to protect themselves from you.

When management prioritises the staff’s well-being, they feel valued and at ease.

Of course, it shouldn’t lead to staff being too relaxed and not doing their work, but instead, it should give them the possibility to voice their concerns and seek suggestions from the management if they need help.

When the top management respects and focuses on the staff, the teams believe they must also be looking out for one another.

Over time, with the staff caring for each other, a culture will be formed where it would be awkward if someone doesn’t help out when support is required. It can help the staff bond and be able to WORK TOGETHER with the management to achieve the organisation’s goals.

IT IS NEVER ABOUT WORKING FOR THE MANAGEMENT TO ACHIEVE THE COMPANY’S GOAL. RATHER, IT IS TO WORK WITH THE MANAGEMENT!

Making the Shift: Moving Towards a Positive Workplace Culture

Building a positive workplace culture is essential for staff to feel valued, motivated, and engaged in their work. Here are some practical tips on how to make the shift.

Encourage Open Communication

Creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. This can be done by promoting regular team meetings, providing a suggestion box, or implementing an anonymous feedback system. When everyone feels heard and valued, they are likely to be engaged and motivated at work.

Recognise and Reward Achievements

Celebrate the successes of your team by recognising and rewarding their achievements. This could be anything from a simple “thank you” to a formal honour program with incentives and bonuses. Recognition can boost morale and encourage teamwork, positively impacting the staff’s work.

Foster a Collaborative Environment

Providing opportunities for staff members to work together on projects, committees, or even informal gatherings. By working collaboratively, staff can learn from each other, and share their knowledge and experience, while building solid relationships.

Facilitate Professional Development

Motivate staff to pursue professional development opportunities by offering training, workshops, and tuition reimbursement. Staff will feel valued when their employer invests in their professional development, as everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

Prioritise Work-Life Balance

It is essential to prioritise work-life balance to prevent burnout. Offer flexible schedules, provide mental health resources, or even implement a wellness program.

Managers must respect specific work hours by avoiding work-related emails and calls outside those hours. Staff need to take breaks throughout the day to recharge.

Additionally, the organisation should encourage employees to take vacations, personal days, or mental health time, depending on the employee’s needs to reduce stress.

Employers can create a supportive environment by promoting a positive workplace culture, supporting the management of work-related stress, and offering benefits such as childcare support or parental leave.

Lead by Example

Leaders play a crucial role in shaping workplace culture, and as such, it is critical to lead by example. By demonstrating positive behaviours and attitudes, leaders can inspire their team to do the same. Managers can also be role models by promoting open communication, recognising achievements, and fostering collaboration.

Bottom Line

Building a positive workplace culture makes staff feel valued, motivated, and engaged in their work.

Employees will thrive in environments that encourage open communication among team members, making it easier to discuss issues, resolve conflicts, and share ideas. This can improve the quality of work and reduce the likelihood of errors and misunderstandings.

We must encourage managers to prioritise employee wellness in order to prevent burnout, absenteeism, and turnover.

These steps can lead to higher staff satisfaction, engagement, and retention levels, ultimately benefitting both the employees and the organisation. As a result, customer satisfaction and work quality will improve, and everyone will benefit from a happier, healthier work environment.

Take-home message:
The goal is to create an organisation that will outlast every other company by ensuring employee satisfaction.

Staffan Stewart
FaithBrewsMiracles