The world has changed dramatically over the last few years, but have we changed our business culture with it? The Great Resignation. The Great Resignation Regret. People are searching for something to hold on to in the workplace, and the opportunity to reset has never been any better than it is today. It’s time for The Great Business Culture Reset.

If I came to your company and spoke with the leadership team, I would ask a few simple questions to determine how much your culture is aligned across everyone in the company, from top to bottom. I would want to know if the leaders all had the same vision and if the employees clearly understood and supported it. The questions are easy, but the answers can reveal where an array of problems exist.

Question #1

Would everyone be on the same page if the leaders were asked independently to define the company culture with three short statements? If the answer is no, the lack of clarity relating to culture should provide a wake-up call.

One of the primary responsibilities of a leader and a leadership team is to create an environment where people can be successful. There has to be a clear message and continued focus. Think of it like building a flower bed. Without a clear vision of what to plant and a focus on maintaining it, it can quickly turn into dead flowers and weeds. Likewise, employees can become unproductive, and a negative atmosphere can quickly develop.

Question #2

If the employees were independently asked to define the company culture with three short statements, how closely would they align with each other? If there is no clear understanding or messaging of company culture, how can employees know how to function efficiently. Employees need to understand the formal and informal rules of the workplace. If they don’t know what is valued, it can make it difficult for them to understand how to bring value. As a result, they can become disenfranchised pretty quickly. 

Studies have proven that proactive employees will not stay where there is no clear direction. Understanding what is valued and aligning with that is critical to their happiness and, subsequently, their production. On the other hand, non-proactive employees will stay with a company despite being unhappy and less productive. Losing the best employees and retaining the worst employees is a recipe for business disaster.

Question #3

How would employees answer if they were asked to define what they would like the culture to be in three short statements? Remember, it’s time for The Great Culture Reset, and whatever leadership thinks, the employees will ultimately decide if it’s a culture they want to be a part of. Let’s be clear. We’re not talking about employees making all the cultural decisions for a company. We are talking about listening to what employees want and need to function well. We’re talking about listening to them to understand the challenges they face in light of today’s world.

Change

In life, there are not many certainties. However, change is one of the things you can count on being present all of the time. If a company has an established culture rooted in the past, there are likely areas that need to be reconsidered, regardless of how healthy that culture has been. Times change. Needs change. Even what is valued changes.

There is one thing that I don’t think has changed. People are still people and they still have the same basic human needs. They need to feel valued. They need to feel like they matter. The Great Culture Reset should constantly be changing to address those basic human needs.

To learn more about The Great Business Culture Reset and how to join the initiative to create a magnetic culture in your business, set up your free consultation with John today.