Culture Alignment - Chapter Lead

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. The following are areas that will help to start building alignment with your organisation.

Defining your core values

Every business started for a reason, usually to serve a particular customer need in the market and as a result has a product or service that it stands behind. The reason for your business – the Why – should be the starting block for building your team culture. By clearly defining the why and the core values it represents, employees are able to resonate and align with the organisations mission.

As a Chapter Lead within your business it is important that you embody the desired culture through your actions and behaviour. Setting the tone should be done by example

Staff first

Involve your teams in the process of defining and shaping the organisational culture. Not only does it encourage feedback and suggestion on how to improve but there was a reason that your staff initially joined the business. Was it because they were aligned with your product or service or was it because they saw an opportunity for career progression and development. It is critical to nurture and grow these to ensure that they not only remain with the business but they actively promote it.

As part of the recruitment process ensure that you build in the cultural aspirations of the business so that from the beginning you are bringing people into the organisation that align and strengthen the values. Then from the outset there is clear positive cultural expectations as part of the job description.

On a regular basis check in to gauge the state of the organisational culture through survey feedback. While it is important to get larger scale results through mechanisms such as OHI surveys (Organisational Health Index) it is just as important to regularly get feedback by checking in with the immediate team. Small tweaks to your immediate chapter can make a big difference in their engagement.

As a business grows so does the diversity of the employees. Ensure that you encourage diversity and inclusion as part of the cultural alignment.

No lip service

However information on your culture is collected the most important thing is to share that feedback and act on it 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.

As well as addressing what aligns with the culture it is also important to promptly address any behaviour or practice that deviates from that culture. Provide constructive feedback and support using clear examples can help to realign with cultural expectations.

Asking for volunteers that are interested in cultural development to work through feedback received and brainstorm ideas to address the comments can help strengthen the visibility, provide personal development for those involved and encourage staff involvement.

Work-Life balance

While it sounds obvious always ensure that one of the key pillars is a healthy work-life balance. Preventing burn out and maintaining a positive cultural environment will always pay off in the long term with reduced absence and better productivity.

Flexibility

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, behaviours, and expectations that contribute to a positive and productive workplace culture.

It is important to recognise that the culture will evolve over time and a diverse workforce helps to contribute a much richer and adaptable way of working. While you should embrace the change and grow as the business consider are there particular traditions that have become part of the cultural identity that you can build on. Helping to strengthen the bond between staff and company.