Who Cares About Culture, Really?

This is a practical guide for Leaders who want to initiate the right conversations with their team, laying the right foundations for a high performing culture.
(Read or watch - your choice!)
Who cares about culture, really?
I always feel that when we initiate conversations about organisational culture it’s something that business leaders know they SHOULD care about - no-one says that they don’t.
It sounds pretty callous if you say that you don’t care about your people.
But in real terms, this type of investment is the first thing to be scrapped when things aren’t going so well.
And I don’t mean investment in terms of money. It can be, but perhaps a better word to use is “attention.” We stop giving people and culture our attention.
“This is serious now. We haven’t got time for that “soft” stuff. “
But extracting your people from the business argument makes no sense.
Culture affects performance. Big time.
According to Gallup, those who strongly agree that “they feel strongly connected to their organisation’s culture” are:
-- 4x as likely to be engaged at work
-- 5.8x as likely to recommend their organisation as a great place to work
-- 62% less likely to feel burned out at work
-- 43% less likely to be watching for job opportunities or actively looking for another job.
More generally, businesses that invest in their people and culture are 23% more profitable than businesses that don’t.
So, in that sense, an organisation’s culture seems to have a pretty huge impact - and we should care about it.
However - leaders are twice as likely as employees to strongly agree they feel connected to their culture.
How do we bridge this gap?
Culture has to be more than words said by leaders:
“We’re a people first business.”
“Our company culture and values are incredibly important to us.”
It has to be more than pool tables, nice offices, the odd away day, beer O’Clock on a friday, “duvet days”, a certain allocation of “work from anywhere” days.
It’s more than a CEO’s weekly email talking about culture.
It’s deeper than things. Deeper than words. Deeper than policies.
It’s about how your people experience their working environment every day.
Are they safe?
-- Do they really care? Do they really feel cared about?
-- Do they feel empowered? Can they grow there?
-- Do they want to be there?
-- Do they have purpose? Do they feel that they’re contributing to the big picture?
Team Leaders: what are your answers to these questions?
What would your team member's answers be?
This is all about satisfying fundamental human needs.
Think less about what policies to implement and more about what conversations to initiate.
I know that I sound a bit like a broken record but meaningful conversations - happening all of the time are KEY.
So, where do you start?
If you’re a team leader, and you connect with what I’ve shared, it can feel a bit daunting thinking about changing the culture of your whole organisation.
So don’t.
1. Start with you. Start with purpose
Everything about a business culture has to flow from a clear sense of shared purpose. Why do you all do what you do? What good are you serving in the world?
We all crave a sense of meaning in our daily lives.
Before asking your team, ask yourself:
-- What does your job mean to you?
-- What does it mean to be part of this team?
-- What do you want it to mean for your team?
-- What’s your purpose?
-- What’s the shared purpose of the team?
2. Engage your team
Engage them in this honest conversation.
Factor in dedicated time in the diary for it to happen. Not tagged onto the end of a meeting.
The same questions, starting with them individually, then about the team:
-- What does your job mean to you?
-- What does it mean to be part of this team?
-- What do you want it to mean?
-- What’s your purpose?
-- What’s the shared purpose of the team?
Remember, no involvement, no engagement. No engagement, no commitment.
It has to mean something. For everyone. And it’s easier to start small. With the people that work together every day.
3. Define your terms
Ask your team:
“What do you need from this team to feel safe, supported and inspired?”
We don’t often talk about this stuff so explicitly and the process of hearing your team share fundamental wants and needs can be incredibly powerful.
You can use it to build a “Constitution” of shared values and behaviours to hold each other accountable.
4. Make it practical
As a result of this work on shared purpose and your Constitution, what will you do to make it practical? Who’s responsible for what? When will it happen?
It can’t remain as some words that got scribbled on a flipchart at an away day only to be screwed up and chucked in the bin.
Are there policies that need to be implemented?
Are there new structures and processes that need to be put in place?
When will you revisit all of this? Building a great culture is not a static process. The work is never done.
5. Start with INTENT:
This stuff CAN be overwhelming. It needn’t be. We can help.
We have a fantastic free tool to get you started.
INTENT: allows leaders to assess the performance culture of their team against 5 founding elements - authenticity, care, empowerment, presence, purpose.
You can fill it in about your team on our website under “Assess your performance” right now to get some immediate insight about your team.
However, the real value is when you compare what you say to what they have to say. Providing the foundation for some high quality, candid conversations about the culture in your team.
With INTENT: There’s no hiding.
Please do get in touch with us if you need help with ANY of the above. We’ve helped so many organisations and teams to lay the right foundations for success. Start your journey now, with INTENT:
By Chris Wickenden 28.08.2024