Why Now is the Time to Make a Strategic Investment in Organizational Culture

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The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on organizational goals and align them with strategic investments, particularly in the realm of leadership and culture, and how that may affect your employees. Why year-end? It’s a good time to look back on the previous year and think about what worked and what didn’t. To review the Engagement Survey and see the areas that still may need a bit more work. To think about the new year ahead and how to give yourself and your organization the best chance of success right out of the gate. But first things first – why even care about culture?

Why is Culture Important?

Organizational culture isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a critical factor to both short and long-term success. A positive and intentional culture promotes employee engagement, fosters innovation, and enhances productivity. On the other hand, a weak or misaligned culture can lead to low morale, high turnover, and stagnant growth. That’s why understanding and improving your culture for the year ahead should be at the forefront of your end-of-year strategic planning.

Culture and leadership go hand-in-hand when it comes to building, shaping and sustaining a successful company, and both also play a huge role in the experience of your employees. People don’t want to work for organizations who aren’t open to new ways of doing things nor for leaders who treat them poorly. Employees want to work for companies who care and who listen to what they have to say (This doesn’t mean organizations always have to make the requested changes. It does mean being open to listening and understanding what employees are looking for goes a long way in terms of building a strong culture built on trust). In fact, according to a study conducted by Hunt Scanlon Media, culture isn’t a singular box an organization can check when trying to tackle the initiative. Just as companies must change with the circumstances and technology and trends of their environment, culture must be worked at to support ever growing talent at an organization. With this, there are significant benefits when a culture is positive and high-performing, as outlined below.

So, clearly culture (and leadership) are critical to increasing retention, decreasing turnover, and achieving organizational outcomes. The problem we often run into is that many leaders don’t even know what their culture is today in order to determine whether it’s working for them or not.

Why do Many Companies not Know What Their Culture Really is?
Company culture is essential to building high-performing teams, but what does it really mean for your organization? When was the last time you asked your employees to answer the question, “What is it like to work here?” How do you think they would answer that question? How would you answer that question? How would senior leaders answer that question? Would the answers be aligned or different? This question not only helps reveal how your employees perceive your culture but also brings to light the discrepancies that may exist throughout the organization in terms of what your culture actually is today.

Understanding your organization’s culture is vital for several reasons. First off, a well-defined culture fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, encouraging employees to stay and grow with the organization. Secondly, a strong culture aligns with organizational goals, enabling companies to adapt to external changes while staying true to their core values. Lastly, and most importantly, organizations need employees to execute on their strategy if they are to meet and exceed their objectives. Ensuring employees feel valued and heard and can see change solidifies their connection to your organization. When employees leave and turnover is high, your organizational brand suffers, making hiring strong employees that much more difficult.

Understanding your current culture can be challenging due to various factors—like evolving technology, changing employee expectations, or simply never having asked, “What is our culture today?” Your culture also shapes your organizational brand and affects how people view your company. If you’re unclear about your internal brand, it’s harder to identify the types of employees who will thrive in your environment.

Here are some reasons why companies may struggle to grasp their culture:

  • Varied Work Environments: Flexible work arrangements make it harder to maintain a unified culture. The experiences of those working in an office versus those working remotely differ greatly.
  • Short-Term Focus: Prioritizing quick wins over long-term culture can create disconnects between perception and reality. We can often do things once and, when asked, make them part of our culture, although we never repeated them again.
  • Lack of Time and Trust: In fast-paced environments, employees may hesitate to share honest feedback, doubting that change will follow.

Moreover, technical, economic, and strategic shifts can disrupt team performance and processes. These changes can lead to misalignment, process breakdowns, and stunted growth, ultimately harming both customer and employee experiences.

Understanding your culture today doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By asking the right questions, formulating a strategic roadmap, and executing in an intentional manner, you can foster a unique and enviable culture.

How do you conduct a Culture Assessment? [Hint: You can work with a knowledgeable partner who can walk you through this process easily.]

As a new year quickly approaches, understanding the current state of your organization’s culture – particularly as it relates to leadership, values, rewards, engagement, and communication – can offer valuable insights for future planning.

That’s where we come in – an unbiased third party who wants what’s best for your organization. We believe that everyone deserves to thrive at work and that organizations perform better when they have a highly engaged and developed workforce. Our Culture Assessment is designed to provide a clear view of your current culture and help shape a roadmap for future growth. Here’s how it works:

Phase 1 – Inquiry and Diagnostics: This phase begins with interview-based assessments with key stakeholders to understand the current state in relation to team effectiveness, strategic goals, and objectives.

Phase 2 – Evaluation: By leveraging the data from phase one, we are able to understand the starting point and team perspectives to help create a custom designed agenda that facilitates leadership assimilation, change management and leadership effectiveness.

Phase 3 – Alignment: During this time, our team will conduct a two-hour facilitated Culture Alignment Session with your leadership team. This is important because it allows for a report out of high-level data from the interview process, a team brainstorming exercise and development of team and individual action plan commitments.

Phase 4 – Findings and Recommendations Report: This comprehensive report highlights key areas of organizational focus, as well as provides consultative recommendations to enhance performance towards strategic intent and culture that drives desired results. Think of this like your roadmap for success.

This assessment proves to be an invaluable tool for organizations. It embodies the principle that understanding your current position is crucial for reaching your desired destination. This approach provides a strategic framework that enables organizations to enter the new year with a clear roadmap. Ultimately, this comprehensive year-end process serves as a powerful strategy, setting the stage for sustained growth, improved alignment, and future success.

Why is now the Right Time?
By prioritizing a Culture Assessment now, you’re not only utilizing your budget effectively but also laying the foundation for a resilient organization. This investment will empower you to drive engagement, enhance employee retention, and be prepared to adapt to the ebb and flow of changing dynamics. Building a resilient, high-performing organization starts here – positioning your team to thrive for years to come.

Contact us today to learn more about our Culture Assessment and how it can transform your organization. Let’s make a fresh start towards resilience!

“When choosing a firm to conduct a culture survey for employees you want to make sure that you receive meaningful feedback, actionable items and ensure confidentiality. Gig Talent accomplished all of these when they did our Culture Assessment. The team is knowledgeable and understands what challenges organizations face. The assessment was thorough, well structured and tailored to our specific needs, allowing us to gain a deep understanding of our organizational culture. The results provided insightful and actionable feedback.” –CHRO for a mid-sized financial services institution