We spend 40 … or 45 … or 50 … or more hours at work each week. Many of us spend more time with those we work with than we do our families. For us to be content and fulfilled people, that time must be valuable for more than a dollar …
We want to be engaged in our work. We yearn for work that is enjoyable, meaningful and
engaging. When we are engaged we are safer on the job, more productive and more willing and
able to delight Customers.
It is for these basic reasons that organizational culture matters. It is the right thing for an
organization to do – to think about the work environment, working relationships and "how we
do things here".
Focusing on building and sustaining an organizational culture is one way of showing that people
are the organization's most valuable asset.
There are of course many other bottom line business reasons to focus on and build
organizational culture. Here are seven of those reasons.
A strong culture is a talent-attractor. Your organizational culture is part of the package that
prospective employees look at when assessing your organization. Gone are the days of
selecting the person you want from a large eager pool. The talent market is tighter and those
looking for a new organization are more selective than ever. The best people want more than a
salary and good benefits. They want an environment they can enjoy and succeed in.
A strong culture is talent-retainer. How likely are people to stay if they have other options and
don't love where they are? Your organizational culture is a key component of a person's desire
to stay.
A strong culture engages people. People want to be engaged in their work. According to a
Gallup survey at least 22 million American workers are extremely negative or "actively
disengaged" – this loss of productivity is estimated to be worth between $250 to $300 billion
annually. Your culture can engage people. Engagement creates greater productivity, which can
impact profitability. Need I say more?
A strong culture creates energy and momentum. Build a culture that is vibrant and allows
people to be valued and express themselves and you will create a very real energy. That
positive energy will permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success.
Energy is contagious and will build on itself, reinforcing the culture and the attractiveness of the
organization.
A strong culture changes the view of "work". Most people have a negative connotation of the
word "work". Work equals drudgery, 9 to 5, "the salt mine". When you create a culture that is
attractive, people's view of "going to work" will change. Would you rather see work as drudgery
or a joy? Which do you think your employees would prefer? Which will lead to the best results?
A strong culture creates greater synergy. A strong culture brings people together. When
people have the opportunity to (and are expected to) communicate and get to know each other
better, they will find new connections. These connections will lead to new ideas and greater
productivity – in other words, you will be creating synergy. Literally, 1 + 1 + right culture = more
than 10. How is that for leverage?
A strong culture makes everyone more successful. Any one of the other six reasons should be
reason enough to focus on organizational culture. But the bottom line is that an investment of
time, talent and focus on organizational culture will give you all of the above benefits. Not only
is creating a better culture a good thing to do for the human capital in the business, it makes
good business sense too.
Hopefully this article has helped you see that time spent enhancing your organizational culture
will be time wisely invested. Regardless of your current culture, it is never too late to enhance it
and to begin creating the benefits described above.
What are you waiting for?Seven Ways to Enhance Org