Last week we wrote about the importance of culture and how it will define the difference between success and mediocrity that is found in most organizations. You know from your own firsthand experience the difference for working in an organization that has a culture that makes it a great place to work vs. an organization that you left because of the culture and the way people behaved and were treated.   

What makes the two scenarios different? How can leaders guide their organizations in a way that ensures that the culture is positive, rewarding, and inspiring? Changing company culture is not easy, but it can be accomplished with the proper approach and by leaders leading by example. 

Here are four insights to help you shift your organizations culture in a positive direction:

#1 – Foster Employee Engagement

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the people in your business. They need to be your number one priority. We have talked a lot about employee engagement in previous blogs, but this is where is all starts and stops – this is the key defining factor between a positive thriving culture and one that struggles as a result of a workforce that lacks accountability and desire to deliver great results. You know from experience how well you perform when you feel valued, heard, and appreciated for your contributions to the organization. When leaders treat their employees with respect, establish the appropriate expectations, and set people up for success, employee engagement thrives and so does your culture.  

#2 – Give Employees the Freedom to Perform

I see it all the time, and I am sure you have, too – managers neglect to take an interest in their employees as people, let alone better understand the skills and expertise they bring to the team. As a result, employees are simply told what to do vs. giving them guidelines and the freedom to bring their A game by leveraging their strengths to truly excel. By offering support and encouraging empowerment and freedom, leaders can foster a positive culture where employees are engaged and excited to support at their best and achieve collective success.

#3 – Get to Know Your People

As mentioned above, too many business leaders insulate themselves from their people and do not take the time to get to know what they are passionate about and who they are outside of the work environment. Hence why I challenge you with this question – how well do you really know your people? 

We have written about this topic before and will continue to emphasize it because it is critical.  How can you inspire someone to achieve results and objectives if you don’t know what motivates them? What is their biggest challenge both personally and professionally? What do they like doing that gives them great satisfaction? What are their strengths and opportunities?  What challenges are they facing outside of work that will impact their performance? Having answers to these questions positions you well as their leader to help set them up for success and it makes your role easier, too, as you can do away with assumptions and lead with facts. 

#4 – Change the Way People Think

You may have heard the statements before: “Change your thinking, change your life,” or “your thinking creates your reality”. Successful businesses are made up of people who think for themselves and take personal responsibility for their behaviour and their individual contributions. They understand that everything they do has an effect on the bottom line. They also understand that their thinking will create the outcome of every situation. So how do you help people change the way they think? We advocate that this is done by getting people to understand what taking responsibility means, both inside the workplace and in their personal lives. Your thinking will define how you treat yourself and those around you.  

Moving Forward

Making your people a priority by engaging them, giving them the freedom to perform at their best, getting to know them and helping change the way they think about responsibility are few key insights that will help you shift the culture. These insights will not only help shift an organization’s culture, but they will also make the difference between meeting objectives and exceeding them. 

Changing company culture may not be easy, but leaders can take steps to improve it. Are you ready to set the tone that will enable you to enhance your company's culture?

If you would like to learn more about employee engagement and the benefits of a positive company culture, reach out to us today. You can send an email to joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or give call us at 1.855.871.3374. We would love to hear from you!