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Organizational culture can be mysterious. It can also be powerful.
Because of that power, leaders are sensitive to its importance. But the mystery – of how exactly to build or change a culture – usually keep them as observers, or complainers when it feels wrong, rather than cultural champions.
“As a leader in today’s rapidly changing world you must embrace your role as a culture champion and understand that everything you do and say as a leader either adds to your workplace culture or detracts from it. You truly are the orchestra conductor of your workplace who sets the overall tone of your culture,” Canmore, Alta. consultant Michael Kerr writes in his book Small Moments, Big Outcomes.
It’s vital because, he argues, your culture is your No. 1 competitive advantage and driver of success. Culture amplifies your success and affects every aspect of your business. It helps attract people to join your organization and retain them. A bad culture can drive good people away. Competitors can match your pricing structure, product offerings or customer service strategies, but they can’t easily duplicate your workplace culture.
“If you truly want to hire the best employees, then keep in mind if they really are the best employees, they can work any darn place they please. So, you need to promote your cultural advantage to attract great employees and spend as much time selling the benefits of working for you as they spend assessing new employers’ potential,” he says.
He urges you to think of your culture as your collective mojo. Ask colleagues how to describe your culture – and the ideal culture you might achieve – in a single word. What’s your cultural advantage: What makes you different – better – than competitors? Do you match your hype? Where does your culture rate on the mojo scale?
He believes cultural leaders must channel hope. Moods can be contagious so it is important to be a beacon of hope – of aspirations, of better days. “I’m not speaking of blind hope that things will just somehow magically turn out, but employees do need to see a vision of the future, they need clear goals and a road map so that they can see their way through a chaotic time. Hope and optimism are about conveying the idea that you have the support and know-how in place to achieve the goals you need to achieve and get through anything, no matter how daunting,” he says.
But culture, he stresses, is about people – not stuff. It’s not about budgets and paperwork or even products. At its core, an effective culture is about being a decent human being in everyday interactions with others, modeling the behaviour you want to encourage. There are no small moments at work – everything counts.
When he conducts surveys about what drives people bonkers at work, those small moments loom large. Respondents talk about the bosses who don’t say “good morning” when they walk by the person’s desk or don’t inquire about how the dog’s surgery went even though they knew the employee was stressed about the situation. They complain about bosses who always seem too busy to really be present or send emails that always seem impersonal and rushed.
In some cultures – hustle cultures – such behaviours might be cheered or at least accepted as part of the necessary path to success. But he points to research that suggests leading with compassion has vital benefits. Employees’ decisions to stay in a job largely come from a sense of belonging, feeling valued by their leaders and having caring and trusting colleagues. On the other hand, employees are more likely to quit when their work relationships are merely transactional.
In his workshops, Mr. Kerr has encountered managers who worry showing kindness or compassion will backfire because it will be interpreted as a weakness. “Demonstrating kindness is the hallmark of a strong, confident leader who understands people and what it takes to inspire others,” he counters.
At the same time, he distinguishes between being kind and being nice. You don’t want a culture of niceness. That puts you at risk of not being able to say “no” to anyone and becoming a people pleaser; to groupthink in making decisions; and to not holding employees accountable, as they never hear uncomfortable truths.
You want a culture with a growth mindset, a shared belief that everyone can learn and improve. You want a culture of service. And you want a culture of accountability. All three will take you forward. “You simply cannot build a collaborative team based on trust unless everyone takes responsibility – and that must begin with you as the leader,” he states.
But he warns many engagement surveys err by only measuring employees’ views of their leaders. That omits their own responsibility. Instead of just asking employees if they have clear goals at work, ask them: “Did I do my best to set clear goals or clarify my goals with my supervisor last month?” Instead of “are you happy in your job?” urge employees to ask themselves, “Did I do my best to be happy at work this quarter?”
Champion a culture of hope and service – that is kind, accountable and effective.
Cannonballs
- When asked by pollster Kyla Ronellenfitsch about their ideal politician, Canadians listed these elements of leadership, which perhaps also apply in the office: Honesty (67 per cent of respondents chose this as one of their top three attributes), competence (55 per cent) and respect (42 per cent). Those were rated ahead of strong (33 per cent), principled (32 per cent), decisive (29 per cent), empathetic (25 per cent), collaborative (22 per cent) and innovative (22 per cent).
- Leadership coach Scott Cochrane says a leader must be a pessimist when making financial forecasts in a changing season; a realist when developing the team; an idealist when casting vision; and an optimist when building a healthy culture, reminding the team things will get better.
- Restaurateur Erin Wade recommends fellow CEOs and other leaders opt for restorative justice rather than the traditional punitive approach for offences. She asks employees to acknowledge the impact of their actions and come up with ways to make it right. This nudges them to see the bigger picture and can lead to creative solutions.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.