Organizational culture has become a premier competitive advantage when retaining and recruiting new employees. As a result, ensure your organization does not fall victim to these three killers.
Lack of Accountability
It is one thing to have accountability for job performance, but the same must be true for anything or anybody that is being toxic to your organizational culture. This is why team members must be held to not only performance metrics, but also alignment with organizational values.
For example: As part of our organizational culture at ABC Company we value the free exchange of ideas. If you get word that "Manager Bob" is continually not allowing opportunities for his employees to share ideas and engage in productive conversation, then Bob needs to be held accountable. If there is no accountability, then your employees will not take your values and culture seriously.
Lack of Growth Opportunities
For employees committed to your organization, there will always be a desire to grow and invest more. As a result, organizations with a healthy culture are always trying to find ways to offer their employees new challenges, learning, or leadership opportunities. This could come in the form of heading up a task force, conference attendance, promotion, or recognition.
Growth opportunities communicate that you see value, potential, and gratitude towards your team members. When employees don't have the opportunity to grow, then there is now a limit as to what they can or will contribute to your organization. Do everything you can to create a culture where there are limitless opportunities for your team members.
Lack of Evidence
The proof truly is in the pudding. Sadly, most organizations consider a healthy culture as having well written mission, vision, and values on websites or walls and that somehow thats enough. Your employees are looking for those words in action, and at every layer of the organization. The employee who just started should see it in action just as much as the 10 year veteran,
The organization that stops at fancy statements has not made much progress at all. A statement does not change cultures, actions do.
Take into consideration these three killers of a healthy culture to ensure that you don't fall victim. Culture is too important, and it can literally make or break a companies reputation, profits, and advancement of it's contribution to society.
For additional reading, we recommend Patrick Lencioni's book "The Advantage". Click here to view and purchase.