So what is organisational culture?
It is the shared values, beliefs and assumptions that govern the behaviour of individuals within an organisation.
Why is a healthy organisational culture so important?
Forward thinking CEO's and leadership teams understand that a strong and healthy culture will increase productivity, improve financial performance, reduce absenteeism, improve staff retention and create a more resilient organisation, whilst a poor culture will always hold an organisation back from achieving its potential.
What influences organisational culture?
Organisational culture is influenced by the people that work there, their behaviours, their attitudes, organisational structures, systems, policies and how people communicate...
A Purposeful Community
For organisations to deliver strong commercial outcomes and fulfil their purpose, creating a supportive work community is imperative. A supportive workplace community enhances employee well-being, reduces anxiety and enables everyone to flourish, whilst purpose gives a shared ambition to aim for and an added meaning to employee work, giving greater connection and advocacy to the organisation.
Value-driven Behaviours
Values and behaviours, be they written or unwritten, are a key component of a healthy workplace culture, because they clarify how the organisation and its people should interact. The behaviours and expectations that an organisation believes are important create the right environment for their workforce, enabling everyone - including the business itself - to achieve their goals and ambitions.
The Leadership
Leadership is about guiding and impacting outcomes, enabling groups of people to work together to accomplish what they couldn’t do working individually. The Leaders/ Leadership (i.e. those in ‘leadership’ positions) set direction and use both their actions and words to inspire trust and energy throughout the organisation.
Management
Managers guide and impact outcomes within their areas of responsibility. They set direction and use both their actions and words to inspire trust and energy within their teams. The role of Management is integral to building a strong organisational culture that includes role-modelling the values and/or behaviours of the organisation.
Employee Motivation
Motivation refers to how driven and happy an employee is in their role and in their organisation. If an employee is motivated, they will have a sense of autonomy, mastery and purpose over what and how they perform their role, and are more likely to do a good job and show commitment towards the organisation.
Mutual Respect
Respect or rather mutual respect is a foundational element for building a positive and healthy organisational culture. It not only contributes towards the well-being of employees but also enhances collaboration, two-way communication, and overall organisational effectiveness.
Two-way Engagement
Two-way engagement encourages open communication between Employees, Management and The Leadership. It creates a platform for sharing ideas, concerns and acts as a feedback loop, fostering a transparent and honest communication channel. This includes clarity of communication from across all parts of the organisation and the extent that employees actively listen to one another.
Challenge & Change
Organisations are always changing and responding to external and internal factors. It is extremely important to ensure that the right conditions exist within the organisation so positive response and change can come from anywhere in the organisation; this change can then be tested, challenged and embraced by both leaders and employees.
Workforce Accountability
Accountability in the workplace ensures all employees at all levels of the organisation are answerable for their actions, behaviours, and performance. By taking greater accountability of their work employees contribute towards others having a stronger sense of commitment to each other and the organisation.
Empowered People
Empowerment enables employees to take ownership of their work and contribute to meaningful decision-making. An empowered workforce is proven to be associated with better job performance, higher employee satisfaction, and a stronger sense of commitment to the organisation (when given the right resources to do their role).
A Foundation of Trust
Trust is the foundation of a meaningful relationship between individuals throughout any organisation and is a key element that contributes towards psychological safety, effective communication, employee commitment and productivity. It leads to stronger working relationships, a healthier organisational culture and delivers better outcomes for both employees and clients.
Organisational Pulse
The mood of an organisation is an important barometer, it summarises how people feel in the role they are performing and in the organisation in which they work. It is influenced by all the component parts of an organisation’s culture and shows the impact that these have on the individual employee as well as customer outcomes and experiences.