“Treat employees like they make a difference, and they will.”
–– Jim Goodnight
Employees are an organization’s competitive advantage. And employees’ emotional and intellectual connection to the organization is tied to its culture.
Is your organization’s culture engaging or disengaging employees?
Culture and Employee Engagement
There is much that goes into the makings of an organization’s culture.
People. Behaviors. Values. Beliefs. Communications. Practices. Structures. Policies. Processes. Procedures. Lessons Learned. The Unspoken Rules.
We consider the culture at an enterprise level, yet departments and work groups cultures exist. These environments may operate in concert or, in some ways, conflict with the overall culture.
While it is difficult to articulate what culture is and is not and how it manifests throughout the organization, it can fuel or impede organizational success.
Culture signals how the organization values its employees, which is crucial to employee engagement.
Employees who believe their leaders see and value them as individuals – beyond their employee badge ID – are more engaged in contributing to organizational goals and success.
Their leaders get to know them as individuals – their strengths, values, motivators, and aspirations – and connect on a deeper level. As a result, these employees are more productive and experience higher satisfaction in their roles.
It is challenging for employees to give customers what they do not get and experience within the organization. When employees sense they are valued and feel connected to the organization, how they engage in their roles changes. Accordingly, internal and external customer satisfaction rises, leading to higher profitability.
It is challenging for employees to give customers what they do not get and experience within the organization.
Take a Pulse Check
As a leader, you are a culture cultivator. Is the environment manifesting as the organization intended, or is there a gap between the perceived and actual culture?
You can intentionally influence and shape the environment that brings out the best in your employees by remaining curious.
Pulse-check the environment via one-to-one listening sessions with your employees and then take purposeful affirming or remediating action.
Ask the following questions:
- What brought you to the organization? What keeps you here?
- What does it take for you to be successful here?
- Tell me about a time you have been incredibly proud to be associated with this organization.
- How would you describe our organization’s culture to a family or friend?
- What behaviors in our workplace add value to the environment? Conversely, what behaviors do not add value?
- If there is one roadblock between the organization’s desired culture and the way it is, what is it?
- What suggestions do you have to improve our work environment?
Listening is key during these sessions. For listening hints, check out “Listening? Or Not?.”
Intel is Good. Action is Better.
With the new insights, determine what you can and will do to continue building and sustaining the culture that enables, equips, and empowers employees’ “all-in” engagement.
Contact me for a complimentary consultation.
Lillian Davenport, SPHR, SHRM – SCP, CTACC, Principal, End View Solutions, LLC
