Cultural alignment within an organisation is essential for developing a cohesive and collaborative work environment. It is critical when retaining staff, and it encourages like-minded people to join. As a leader, it is vital to help shape the environment and set an example.
Staff-led culture
Involve your teams in defining and shaping an organisational culture. It encourages feedback and suggestions on how to improve, and they will have a vested interest in making it succeed.
There was a reason that your team initially joined the business.
Did they join due to their alignment with your product or service, or did they perceive it as a chance for career advancement and development?
By understanding these answers, you can nurture and grow the positive to help their alignment, ensuring they are actively promoting it.
How? My experience has shown that having the teams themselves develop and shape the culture is the most effective approach. Setting up an internal group to champion and initiatives like the People Development Day programme at Telstra improved internal NPS scores and embedded measurable learning uplift.
No Lip service
Regardless of how you gather information about your culture, it’s crucial to disseminate this feedback and respond appropriately. Fostering open and transparent communication will ensure that employees continue to provide honest feedback, and it sets an expectation that all employees are responsible for driving the workplace culture.
How? Regular town hall updates that provide results on company Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and collected staff feedback. Also, consider maintaining an updated area (such as a company SharePoint) that is easily accessible to internal staff, displaying current results and benchmarks, as well as open suggestions for improvement.
Ongoing
Cultural alignment is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort, communication, and a commitment from leadership and employees alike. It’s about creating a shared understanding of values, behaviors, and expectations that contribute to a positive and productive workplace culture.
The following points are not in any order and overlap with other topics on this site; they should not be viewed alone. If there are other topics that you would like to see discussed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.