Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture, Culture Partners.
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Signs point to a rocky economy in 2024 with a predicted dip in the U.S. GDP. This means corporate leaders will need to think outside of the box if they want to achieve short- and long-term ROI. Unlocking the potential of culture is one way to smooth that journey, not just in the year ahead but for years to come.
Our research at Culture Partners finds that when leaders align workplace culture to their company's purpose and strategy—which we call the Culture Equation® Journey—they're better equipped to hit their targets. Whether it’s increasing revenue, improving customer satisfaction, rolling out new products or any other initiative, implementing a culture-focused approach can lead to greater success.
A key part of the journey is having a framework so everyone in a company, from the corner office to customer service, understands where and how their role supports the overall strategy and impacts results. In this way, culture acts as the amplifier for purpose and strategy, and greater clarity and transparency pave the path to business success.
The 4 Steps Of Your Culture Journey
We've found that a successful process for creating a resilient, adaptive culture consists of four key steps.
1. Align irst, executive leadership must define and document the unique purpose, strategy and cultural beliefs that will be necessary to drive business results. Part of this step involves determining what level of culture alignment currently exists and what shifts may be needed to focus and gauge efforts moving forward.
2. Activate
Next, leaders should develop an alignment plan and empower internal champions to integrate its action steps into everyone's daily behaviors. An important part of the activation is having a communication strategy in place so every employee, regardless of their level, understands how things will look moving forward. Ongoing communications promote sustained behavior changes and accountability by helping team members connect their roles with the organization’s purpose and goals.
3. Accelerate At this point, management can build momentum by elevating accountability across the entire organization. That means encouraging and empowering employees to step up and problem-solve. At the same time, management can begin integrating culture management into everyday systems and operations, with mechanisms to reinforce desired culture changes and encourage feedback.
4. Assess Finally, continuous assessment should be built into the culture alignment plan. This gives leaders regular insight into how well they’re tracking against goals and whether any tweaks or adjustments are in order. Regular assessments also allow leaders to recognize changing internal and external market conditions and make any necessary pivots. A good example of external market influence is the supply chain issue that emerged immediately after the pandemic. With constant assessment and evaluation, companies are better equipped to stay on track and achieve desired results.
Recognizing The Early Positive Impacts
Each step in the journey serves as a point on a compass, helping leaders stay on track and/or pivot to ensure success. As they progress, recognizable changes in how people work, as well as greater accountability among team members, can begin to emerge. A prescriptive process to fully align systems with the strategy and create favorable employee experiences will also be in place.
To accelerate and build on these early impacts, managers should regularly provide clear, actionable feedback to team members. An important aspect of this approach is that team members feel comfortable proactively seeking in-the-moment feedback rather than waiting for a scheduled meeting. Such engagements help keep teams aligned and working together more effectively.
Similarly, leadership should make a habit of offering focused recognition. By rewarding actions that align with key results, managers can promote positive accountability and employee ownership of problem-solving. This can lead to people feeling more fulfilled, resulting in higher productivity and consistent performance.
Preparing For 2024
If 2023 taught us anything, it’s that business is transforming. From hybrid work environments to economic volatility, corporate leaders must be able to manage their team members and improve productivity so they can remain competitive. Understanding the importance of aligning culture with strategy and purpose is an approach that must not be overlooked.
Through this suggested alignment journey, management has a road map for creating a resilient, empowered workforce that can tackle any potential uncertainties. It’s an approach that clarifies desired outcomes and how each employee adds value, leading to tangible process improvements and business benefits. Most importantly, it can be the foundation for both reaching growth targets and sustaining long-term results.
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