As the pandemic rocked the business world almost overnight, we have seen organizations struggle to maintain the organizational cultures they have worked so hard to nurture. For many, their culture was centered on personal interactions and relationships. So when it all went virtual, leaders had to figure out how to maintain that culture, quickly changing the way it worked.
A year later, leaders face yet another, perhaps more difficult, challenge when it comes to cultivating culture: introducing new, more flexible ways of working. Flexibility at work is what most adults in America want above all else, according to a Gallup study. And it is clear that flexibility has many benefits for both employees and businesses. (In fact, Forbes conducted a study that showed worker productivity increased by 47% last year!)
So when companies decide to implement a hybrid model, return to the office full time, or continue to work remotely permanently, they will have to figure out how to adapt to their future while keeping their culture alive. square.
And it's vital that leaders do it right.When a company creates a culture that supports strategy, productivity, and increased revenue, customers buy more, good employees stay, and good employees come together.
As you start to define how you're going to work in the future, here are six red flags to watch out for to keep your culture strong: 2020 has been terrible for so many people, one benefit has been the benefits people have. discovered by having more flexibility with when and where they work. To meet this need for more flexibility, leaders are trying to understand which business model to choose and what expectations to set for where and how work takes place.
While there is much debate about which model is best for the new world, the truth is, no one is inherently better than someone else. What's “right” is to assess which model supports your values, culture, industry, and strategy, then think holistically about how the model you choose affects your culture. It means thinking beyond the day-to-day: how the chosen model affects development, collaboration, recruitment, work-life balance and well-being… to name a few.Thinking about these implications takes time and attention, but continuing to cultivate the right culture for your organization is essential.
- LEADERS DO NOT SEEK WILL NOT REMOVE FROM OLD MENTIONS
Talent development and empowerment can no longer be based on “facetime” in the office. Usually rooted in mistrust and fear of losing control, many leaders - even some who would consider themselves progressives - fall victim to the premise that "if I can't physically see my employees working, they must be lazy. ". This will not work as the world of work becomes more flexible, hybrid, asynchronous and dispersed.
To continue nurturing and developing talent, leaders need to challenge their assumptions about how work is done, focusing more on the results of that work rather than the process to get it done. As leaders make this transition, leaders may need to consider new ways to connect and train team members, assess talent, recognize success, and provide feedback. comments.
- "NEW WORLD" PROCESSES DO NOT ALIGN WITH CULTURAL VALUES
As organizations create their post-pandemic future, culture and values must be the center of the conversation. As companies adopt more flexible models, your culture can guide how processes, structures, policies and ways of working adapt.For example, one of our clients traditionally held in-person meetings with employees for 90 minutes every quarter to share the latest information and align people with the change. They quickly realized in 2020 that this was not going to work in the New World. With their value on speed at heart, they reinvented employee communications in short monthly video segments from CEOs and other leaders to share what employees needed to know most.
- LEADERS ARE NOT ABOUT WHAT TO SAY ... THIS SAYS NOTHING
Over the past year, leaders have had to make some tough decisions. They were tested in new ways and had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, in many cases overnight.But that doesn't mean they have all the answers, all the time. In an environment where everything is changing rapidly, leaders must act with agility and transparency.
The problem is, these fast-paced environments are the times when employees need to hear from leaders the most. When there is silence, unproductive voices and anxiety come into play. So instead of shutting down because they don't have all the answers, leaders need to open up, communicate what is known, promise to communicate what isn't and give employees a platform to ask tough questions.
