Wednesday 30 October 2019

What Kind of Culture Are We Creating?

Our job as leaders is to achieve results through the efforts of others.  To do this, we need our people all sharing the same vision and working toward the same end.

The way we lead sets the tone for our organisation; what kind of “culture” do we want to create?  One that encourages people to keep their ideas to themselves for fear of repercussion, or one that invites them to share their ideas and views without fear of ridicule, reprisal or regret?

I’ve seen organisations where the atmosphere could be described as “creative”, “enabling” or other encouraging words as well as those where one has the feeling that, if they could, employees would be heading out of the door as fast as possible.  In one, I was told “Senior Management don’t like to hear bad news”!  In another, employees seemed to “run scared” of an HR department that, on the face of it, was accountable to no one.

An atmosphere of fear, distrust or feeling beholden is no good for long-term productivity.   
As leaders we’re usually under pressure to deliver better results with fewer resources in less time than before.  It’s natural to focus entirely on the goal; if we don’t, we and our team may not have a job next year.  Reporting problems can wait.  However, issues will finally surface in the form of reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and turnover.

What can we as leaders actually do in the face of having to “produce results, come what may”?  We need to start with building an atmosphere in which people feel free to speak up and not be penalised for doing so.  

We build on this by sharing our ideas and asking for input – despite the initial short-term costs to our egos.  

The next step is team members’ trust – that others will do their part and will back each other up when needed, rather than throwing each other under the proverbial bus to save themselves.

Recognition of a job well done, results being achieved or of going beyond the call of duty can work wonders. Recognition of something done well needs to be immediate and public.  Recognition for poor behaviour is best done immediately and in private.

Wins – large and small, should be celebrated as often as possible to build and maintain that “positive” atmosphere.  

Finally, a reward mechanism needs to be in place to show that the right behaviour and results will produce returns to everyone.  Holding one person up as “better” than others may not actually encourage them to do more unless they feel they’re also in with a credible chance.

As leaders we create cultures both consciously and sub-consciously – we need to make sure it’s the right culture that produces happy staff and customers whilst keeping productivity and innovation up.


I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

  

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