Workplace Culture

In the work I do I’ve had the opportunity to look deep inside many organizations to understand better how they work, to see what makes them tick. I’ve discovered something quite interesting – that workplace culture is directly linked to the success or failure of an organization.

I had better explain what workplace culture is, or at least my own definition. Every business has a certain ‘feel’ to it. It can be obvious from the moment you walk in. Some workplaces are happy, organized, tidy and productive while others are in complete disarray, with the discontent clear as day. Spend a little time talking to people, observing, and you soon figure out that they either feel supported, respected and valued or, they feel worthless, frustrated and keen to get out if they could. Workplace culture is the way individuals within a workplace interact; it’s the way they feel, the way they work and the way they make decisions. And here’s the thing with culture – it’s common across the group. For whatever psychological reason, everyone gets dragged into a culture whether they like it or not. The culture, not the individual determines how a group operates and interacts.

So, why is culture so important? Because it affects many key aspects of the business; productivity, quality, health & safety, absenteeism, service, and inevitably, profits. Clients, suppliers, in fact everyone picks up on a negative culture.

Now this is all fine if you have a positive culture, but what if you don’t? Chances are, as the boss, you will have a difficult time understanding just what type of culture you have. How can you – you’re a part of it! You need fresh eyes, to take a big step back and look in from the outside. Most importantly – you need to be honest with yourself. Is the environment a positive one? Are people supportive of each other? Does the culture cater for individual needs and expectations? Is the workplace a productive one?

To fix a depressed culture you first need to understand how it got that way – don’t worry, it’s no one’s fault – these things just happen. The good thing is it can be fixed over time. There are a few aspects that contribute, over time to producing a negative culture; recruitment decisions, management style, workplace stress, and the physical environment. Basically, to solve the problem you need to re-align these aspects to where they should be. A problematic employee – replace them. A command and control management style – replace it with a collaborative and supportive approach. Workplace stresses – systemize workflows & clearly define tasks and responsibilities. Uncomfortable, unappealing physical environment – clean it up, make it comfortable and upbeat. And most important of all – bring a little fun into the workplace.
I know, its sounds too simple, it can’t possible be that easy – well you’re right. This process of change is difficult and takes time – don’t rush it. Put a plan together and tackle one thing at a time. But the results will change the look, feel and performance of your business.