There may be times when corporate leadership needs a “30,000-foot view.”
Employee relations is not one of them.
Long-range plans and market futures may be well-assessed from a distance, but relating to the individuals who make up your workforce, and are integral to your corporate culture, requires individual attention.
Every company touts its culture but, in reality, that cultural vision may not reflect what the employees are experiencing. In such cases the leadership are so removed from the employee experience that they miss the real impact of their decisions and policies, as well as a hollowness in their success.
The best assessment of a corporate culture and the impact of corporate values may instead be taken from “the ground up.” A post on Forbes in 2018 offered one way to do that.
“Ask a number of your employees to describe your organization’s culture in five words,” it suggested. “If your company is typical in this regard, then the results will likely be all over the map.” Now there’s a 30,000-foot overview, and it doesn’t look good.
The Inevitability Of Corporate Culture
Most everyone in business would agree: culture matters. Yet while all companies talk about and promote their culture and the values they claim to treasure, those stated tenets may be in opposition to reality. Instead, policies may be flawed or outdated, compensation programs misaligned, and messages between senior management and employees in conflict. In short, corporate values may be nothing more than words in Annual Reports and press releases.
This disconnect is the sign of a company operating with an unintentional and unconscious culture. The satisfaction of a company’s customers and employees is a better gauge of success. When a corporation puts in the time and effort to create a conscious culture, great things happen.
Conscious Cultures
A conscious culture is one built on an ethical foundation, in which employees and management practice awareness of the environment around them. It entails holding people accountable, promoting the feeling of empowerment, and ensuring that expectations are met. The key characteristics of a conscious culture are …
- Values are well defined
- Employees feel aligned to the vision, connected to the company’s purpose, and understand what is expected
- Behaviors and practices are continually evaluated through the lens of the company’s values and principles
- The leadership team is earnest about understanding the “truth” of the employee experience and regularly participate in 360 assessments to solicit feedback on ways they can improve and become better leaders
- The organization’s vision, goals, and specific milestones to meet those goals are transparent and consistently communicated
A conscious culture that is successfully structured allows leadership to create stronger bonds with employees, and that will boost both retention and production rates.
Furthermore, people in the community, including stakeholders and potential investors, will want to support a business that they perceive as ethical.
Some Practical Steps
First, be forthright in having, defining, and promoting your purpose. While it may sound obvious, forming a definite purpose is often overlooked. Don’t assume that everyone understands the corporate priorities and values.
Second, align actions with that purpose. This means that the procedures and policies put in place directly support the goal of the mission statement. For example, if diversity is a key value then policies should be made that specifically encourage diversity in hiring and promotions. These policies should also be measured to ensure that the operations are supporting the goals and improvements.
Finally, transparency is key to building a conscious culture. Transparency allows for trust to grow, not only from the community but from the employees. Data and reports should be shared so that everyone involved can monitor progress. Bring in employees to discuss mistakes and communicate action plans. Share reminders of the vision and intention through company communication in engaging ways. And, recognize employees whose behavior reflects these values.
Everyone benefits from the sense of accountability and transparency. A conscious culture forges an important connection between leadership and employees, and that in turn fosters a foundation on which your client base will connect for the long term.