It’s the final quarter of 2020. Have you caught your breath yet? We have endured disruptions of seismic proportions and it is still too early to determine the toll. While this may not be the first crisis your company has endured, were you even marginally prepared? If you had a culture committed to your company’s mission, you may count yourself among the lucky ones. When the ship is getting tossed about, you need all hands on deck and success hinges on clarity of purpose.
Whether you had intentionally invested in it or not, your organizational culture prior to March largely influenced how you have fared thus far. Your company’s clearly defined purpose and vision anchors your culture, but if your employees were not married to it before March, then they weren’t ready to navigate the unprecedented storm we faced.
It isn’t too late to right the ship. In fact, culture is what secures your workforce during tumultuous times. Owners and executives set the mission, but employees band around culture, and culture drives performance.
Time invested in defining organizational culture will in turn attract talented employees, drive engagement, increase happiness and retention, and improve productivity and ultimately profitability. So, why don’t more leaders manage culture? Because it is ambiguous to define and elusive to measure. Employees, however, long for a cohesive culture that supports their efforts across teams and departments. Until leaders go through this exercise, they will not understand the power of harnessing culture. The power lies in the synchronicity of communication, effort, goals, and rewards.
How is your company holding up in the final quarter of 2020?
- Do your employees know and align with the company’s mission?
- Are the company’s values clear and driving attitudes and behaviors?
- Do managers coach employees to steer these performance drivers?
- Are employees able to flex with the corporate environment?
- Are employees invested in the company’s success?
Traversing 2020 has required endless recalibration in order to stay nimble. For those who weren’t in the best shape a year ago, this has been an exceptionally hard year. It would be unfair to assume that executives were any more prepared than their staff, yet who will bear the responsibility for getting performance back on track? Be kind to yourself and get help where needed.
Defining corporate culture is a wise and formative exercise for any organization. But, after this year’s cataclysmic events, even without a purpose-driven culture, employers would be prudent to rally the troops and rein in those who have drifted from the mission.
If the process of defining your company’s culture seems daunting, please call me at 561-339.2170 and I can guide you through it. If mere guidance is not enough at this time, please contact me about the executive level leadership I can offer.