When you leave for a road trip, do you just hop in the car in whatever you’re wearing, pick a direction, and zoom away?
Of course not. That’s ridiculous.
Yet it’s the method that many businesses seem to apply to their company culture. With no preparation, no direction, and no destination in mind, it’s impossible to achieve anything. In other words, you can’t meet goals you haven’t defined.
Engage
At the heart of company culture is employee engagement; that’s why culture stays even if major players come and go. A company culture is established collectively over time, and from personal experience, I can tell you that it is far easier to shape when you have a vision, and when your employees are aligned with that vision.
The simplest way to get started is with clear intentions and clearly defined milestones, which you can then list, track, and measure definitively. This process also enables accountability, collaboration, engagement, and rewards! It’s important to recognize and applaud good behavior and impressive accomplishments, fueling a desire in the office to earn such praise.
You, your team, and your organization as a whole will all benefit with the correct I.M.P.A.C.T. Leadership. The same is true when it’s time to realign, readjust, and pivot to market changes, highlight a new vision, or address the shifting needs of the current company culture.
Align
Behaviors of each and every team member can and do impact the culture of your company. This does not mean that you should try to control your employees—that strategy will backfire and you’ll be left managing an empty office! Instead, create a workplace environment that inspires productivity and encourages ownership and accountability. Let your employees take the reins over their respective tasks, and watch performance soar.
Tips & Reminders for Alignment & Engagement:
- Know what behaviors your workplace environment requires
- To function
- To retain employees
- Know what behaviors to hire for
- Identify and reward such behaviors internally
- Seek and hire such behaviors using Predictive Index Behavior & Cognitive Assessments
- Include employees (at all levels) with all systems, processes, decisions, and discussions which impact them, their clients and work, or the company culture as a whole.
- Engage your employees and they will in turn become engaged with the success of the company. Faith, trust, and respect are mutual and must be given to be received.
- Encourage all leadership, management, etc. to embrace an attitude of inclusivity and collaboration.
- Track, inspect, and expect returns for your team, board, executives, and customers.
- Accountability means employees own the work, and leadership ensures quality standards are met. Everyone is united and equally responsible, because you are all on the same team, unified by a common goal.
I hope this helps clarify some of the nuances of company culture as it relates to employee engagement in the workplace. When your employees are engaged, your company is headed towards success for all. Isn’t that a good feeling?
Please Click Here to get in touch with me today, and Click Here to reserve your seat and come see me at my next speaking engagement!
I look forward to collaborating with you soon.
Sincerely,
–Shelley Smith
