by David Pinto
Corporate change, like a merger or a new CEO, comes with a lot of emotions, so it's important to focus on the things that make your company unique.
Most of the time, plans like company outings and expansion have to be put on hold during a big corporate change. Culture isn't one of the things you should put to the side.
Maintaining your organization's culture and focusing on your values will help your employees stay excited about their jobs and keep your business healthy.
Build a Strong Company Culture.
Company culture is the sum of all that you and your coworkers think, say, and do. It shows both the rules you follow that are written down and those that aren't. Even if a company doesn't do anything, a workplace culture will form (usually badly). The first thing you need to do to keep corporate company culture healthy when things get tough is to focus on your values.
Values you set for your company won't mean anything if you don't put them into practise every day. You should not let your culture change on its own. ELEfense has done research on culture and found that company values are the most important thing to have in order to have a good company culture.
Adapt and be flexible, and don't be afraid to change your mind.
The fact that you change your culture initiatives and programmes doesn't mean that you haven't done a good job keeping your company culture in line with your values. It just means that you've changed how you spread your values through your culture.
Make sure you communicate with other people often and be open to it.
When you work for someone, it's always important to be honest with them. Consistent communication is one way to build a transparent work environment, which makes people trust the organisation and the people who run it. So, it's even more important to be open and consistent when your business is going through a big change or has problems.
Here are some ways to get more support from your employees by making a few changes to your benefits and perks:
1. Allow your employees to work from home. Many surveys show that people who work from home are less stressed, more productive, and have a better work-life balance.
2. Make sure your employees are taking their paid time off (PTO). It is good for employees to take a break to recharge and get back to work. An "all hands on deck, now and forever" mentality will just make your people tired and not want to work for you. You also need to make sure people know that taking time off won't hurt their jobs.
3. Model good mental health and taking care of yourself, and show people how to do that. Any behaviour that you want your employees to adopt as part of the company culture has to come from the top down and come from everyone in the company at once. Help leadership and managers learn how to deal with their own stress and be good role models for mental health, as well as how to deal with stress.
4. Employees should know what help they can get. Whether it's a meditation room in your office or a service that's covered by their health insurance, let people know about it.
5. Find new ways to reduce stress and build happy, healthy relationships at work. Make more chances for managers to talk and listen to their teams by having daily stand-ups or weekly check-ins with their teams.
6. Culture champions and the natural LEADERS (not managers) should be trained up for this.
7. Rewards and recognition are also important forms of communication in the workplace. When there is a crisis, it can be hard for employees to stay motivated and productive. This is why it's important to show them that they are appreciated. This is a good thing: meaningful recognition doesn't have to come from the CEO all the time, and it doesn't have to be very pricey, either.
8. Among the types of recognition given by managers, money is on the list, but it isn't alone. Respondents also talked about the following:
· The public applauded
· A private acknowledgment
· High marks on reviews and evaluations
It can be hard for your company to weather the storms that will come, but having a supportive and resilient culture can help. The managers in charge of culture and people have a big part to play. Leaders and employees will turn to you for help navigating the unknowns that come with big changes or a crisis. By focusing on the company's values, mission, and vision, you can help them feel like they have a sense of direction and purpose.
Finally and most importantly: TOOLS
ELEFense measures enterprise cultural health like company satisfaction and sentiment. It’s done automatically without questionnaires in real time to assess the effect of events and trends on culture.