Have you considered the possibility that your workplace could be harbouring intense stress levels, pushing people to the brink of their mental fortitude?
Life is no bowl of cherries and trauma-based difficulties are estimated to affect around 30% of the population (Kings College London, PubMed Central et al).
Companies can find their strategy coming under intense scrutiny with regard to the employee experience, autonomy and cultural engagement. Rightly so, in an era of increasing awareness, self-actualisation and personal development. Some managers run scared of threats to self-styled versions of control, not wanting their teams to raise levels of empowerment and proactivity - a factor needing attention if cultures are going to align with the visions of switched-on CEOs.
Employees want to garner loyalty and give the best of themselves to their work! Leaving a role is often a last resort. Since sources of difficulty are frequently hidden, reducing attrition and incentivising a culture can seem like an impossible task without a starting point. There'll be tell-tale cracks in communication and work ethic that have first to be found and analysed!
Do you have a mid-manager who broaches good ideas although his teams are delivering poor workmanship and low productivity? Those ideas may well come from others doing their best on a shop floor where recognition is non-existent and motivation doesn't happen. Look carefully at a company structure where an invisible force is preventing healthy information flow, or if issues with quality seem to be consistent. If you're suspecting problems like these, do something about them before you lose your best potentials.
McKinsey put it thus:
"The challenge is that those people likely got promoted because of their individual skills and their own technical acumen. The extent to which they were ever held to account to develop their leadership skills is pretty variable. In many cases, you see middle managers who are playing their strength. “Oh, I’ll take it. I’ll do this work. You can’t—either you do it just like me or you’re not good enough.” "
Empowerment strategies need to take the initiative on all fronts, and develop people appropriately. Everyone depends upon the management strata to turn sound ideas into practical benefits. One size to fit all is unicorn poo; unique strengths inherent in your personnel are waiting to be brought out from under the bushel before your company loses more revenue and irreplaceable staff! Here are some useful advisories to initiate healthy cultural husbandry:
Commission an objective, external party to attain a clear view of attitudinal roots. Employees will speak freely if they are certain of confidentiality, and this is the only way to guarantee that.
Make arrangements for sustainable development initiatives to be implemented; increase self-worth and confidence in the company! (One-off 'team-building' exercises are about as useful as a trip to the pub)!
Provide platforms for open discussion on systems, methods, and communication improvements, overseen by impartial (interested) parties so that inputs are fairly recorded and staff achieve genuine involvement.
Prioritise necessary remedial work on key facilities (toilets, air-con, work stations, etc.) before investing in new machinery. Want to raise morale? Evidence your commitment to the employee experience!
Create a recognition strategy for employees to trust and take part in. Avoid competition, utilise creativity. Don't worry about trialling - flexibility and change are important in their own right! You want synergy translating into action - this is how to get it.
Team up with a local charity to help fund a project via staff initiatives. Develop your CSR policy with opportunities to form working parties, increasing motivation and autonomy.
These are just some of the actions you can take in creating a culture with a strong heart and a healthy appetite for continuous improvement. Break down silos and remove blocks to progress as part of the foundation creation - you'll see within weeks what this does for your company!
When a community experiences self-reliance as a result of personal effort, in promoting its own wellbeing it begins to share motivational attitudes, and works to remove negativity. A company committed to such a journey cannot help but forge ahead of the exponential curve.
For assistance and advice on culture transformation, get in touch today - we can have a conversation that'll make life so much easier for you and for everyone else while ensuring long-term gains for community and company alike.
kathy@worldlinetraining.com
#culturetransformation #culturechange #synergy #wellbeing #sustainabledevelopment #positivestrategy #empowerment #engagement
