Many managers claim to grasp the importance of a positive workplace culture, so why is it often pushed to the side? The answer is obvious: changing or improving company culture is difficult and time-consuming, and very few leaders know how to do it effectively.
In comparison, developing a new vision or strategic plan is simple: you create some attractive multimedia presentations, make some insightful comments and you're good to go. However, without the right culture, your strategy and vision are doomed, or at the very least, they will take longer to reach your people. The results will not last and will be challenging to replicate.
Implementing cultural change requires time and patience, and you may not see results for a while. Leaders prioritise vision and strategy because they want momentum, especially when under pressure to perform. Every new leader has a 100-day plan for making an impact in their first few months, but culture is rarely mentioned since it takes longer to implement and produce results.
So, why should you spend time and effort introducing a positive workplace culture?
1. A positive culture fosters long-term success
The outcomes will be durable and repeatable once you've implemented the culture you envision. At one organisation, we focused on establishing a culture of continuous improvement. Once we saw how successful it was and the teams understood how to make things better, they often approached the leadership with proposals for further changes.
2. You will achieve unprecedented outcomes
Culture enables you to execute your plan, but it also helps establish significant, bold objectives and enables you to be confident in your ability to achieve them.
3. Company culture influences results
A positive culture is crucial for your company's sustainability. For example, suppose you attempt to alter the culture, encourage people to take tiny, calculated chances, and don't condemn or penalise those who fail. You'll be well on the way to building a creative culture.
TAKEAWAY: In all areas of life, culture generates a strong momentum, and the cumulative effect can be astonishing. The influence of culture is enormous, and executives who can understand how to adjust it to suit their needs, and mould it to the company's strategy and goals, become essential to their organisation and in high demand within their industry. I've found that once the company culture is leading the business approach, teams no longer need me to establish goals; they set their own.