As leaders figure out which future of work model to implement, they will need to keep their culture in place. In this episode of #3FastFacts, we share key insights about how leaders that align, put mid-level leaders at the helm, and focus on learning and building a high growth culture will succeed.
Transcript
Kaitlyn Gallagher
The past five months have put organizational cultures to the test. Between the recent shift from in-person to remote working and the need to create new behaviors that reinforce a new set of values, organizational culture has had quite a transformation this year. And since it’s a powerful competitive advantage and business driver, it’s important that business leaders make culture priority as they rethink the future of work.
Tiana Ritchell
At Daggerwing Group, we define culture as HOW employees behave each and every day to achieve their WHY and their WHAT. Their why being the purpose or reason they exist, and their what being their business goals. So here are three fast facts to help you double down on your culture.
Kaitlyn Gallagher
It’s easy to say that your company stands for something or that your culture is built around something. But if your actions do not align with your words, it will end up causing more harm than good. It’s critical that you “walk the talk” and embed your purpose and culture into your programs and processes, and make sure to reward the right employee behaviors.
Tiana Ritchell
Remember, culture starts at the top. To build a values-based culture for the future, we need leaders to role-model behaviors that align to what they’re saying.
At Daggerwing, we say leaders can make or break your culture – especially mid-level leaders whose responsibilities have grown during this crisis. Employees require strong leaders who can empathize with them and guide them during these times. But it’s a company’s responsibility to ensure leaders have the resources and training they need to avoid compassion fatigue and burnout and lead employees into the future of work.
Kaitlyn Gallagher
That’s right. So how can you do that? Start by considering what happens at the leadership level and drop the responsibility of change down. Make sure leaders are included in the right conversations, understand what’s expected of them, and have the tools to meet those expectations.
Tiana Ritchell
50 years ago, a company’s average life expectancy was about 75 years. Today, it’s less than 15. To succeed in the future, companies need to look ahead and build high growth cultures. A high growth culture values, the ability to take risks without consequence, to help each other grow, and above all else, a desire to learn through both innovation and curiosity. Companies with high growth cultures focused on learning, enable their people to bring the outside in, to take a different approach, and even create something truly new, even disruptive. These are the companies that will build resilience and be able to adapt to the ever-changing environment over time.
Kaitlyn Gallagher
But with high growth cultures, employees and employers build trust with each other. So when leaders do not immediately have all the right answers, such as during a pandemic, employees remain committed. And when something isn’t going right, employees feel empowered to speak up and trust that their employer will be there to grow with them.