There are lots of factors that impact and shape the culture of an organisation: The average age of employees, telecommuting policies, codes of conduct, the industry, and demeanour of the leadership, among others. Ultimately, the foundation of intentional culture development is creating the conditions that will give rise to the kind of culture you want within your organisation.
High-performance cultures are often marked by strong communication, accountability and a sense of ownership. But how do we get there?
Cultivate transparency. If you want strong communication, you have to be willing to share information with your employees. What’s more, when questions or concerns arise, you also need to be willing to answer the questions openly and honestly. This kind of transparency among leadership will cultivate an environment of trust where people behave professionally but communicate with each other in a candid and professional way.
Let go of control. Micromanaging is diminishing and sends the message that you don’t trust your team. However, when you give employees a task, along with the autonomy to decide how best to accomplish that task, it lets them know you have faith in their abilities. Of course, they’ll face challenges, but if you set the bar high and trust your team, you might find that despite challenges, they’re likely to exceed your expectations.
Codify the standard. Create systems and processes within the organisation that codify behavioural standards. Ask yourself, how do decisions get made? What is the process for conflict resolution? How should constructive feedback be offered and by whom? These questions and others that impact how things are done should be answered and kept in a place where all employees can access them. Much like culture, these operating procedures will evolve over time, but having them written and available alleviates confusion about how things get done.
The good news is that if your culture is already manifesting evidence of success, you’re probably doing these things in some form or another. If there’s a disconnect somewhere, take a step back and ask yourself: What does success look like and what you can change to create the condition that facilitates success.