The Optimal Workplace Culture
The new workplace
In the last two years, the concept of a workplace has shifted significantly.
Now, it’s here to stay. Even as headlines begin to shout news about the Great Return to Work that former Starbucks CEO, Kevin Johnson, called the “Great Human Reconnection,” studies show that employees want to keep the flexibility that virtual work offers.
There is a business case for working remotely. People actually work more and people working remotely are happier; and happier people are more productive.
But while employees flourish with more flexibility, they also struggle with the lack of human contact. Forty-five percent of surveyed workers indicated they missed the social connection.
Balancing flexibility with connection, the world of work trend points toward a new hybrid model, a blend of in-person and working from home.
As we begin rolling out a hybrid model of work, we’ll need to rethink traditional conceptions of the workplace.
One of those concepts is workplace culture. We are just beginning to understand the importance of culture in the modern workplace.
Which begs the question, in a hybrid space, what does an optimal workplace culture look like? And how do we get it right?
What is culture and why does it matter?
Workplace culture is the lived experience of accumulated and sometimes-intangible attitudes and behaviors of everyone who works at the organization, arising from shared values, norms, expectations, and a shared vision and mission.
Workplace culture is key because a group of people coming together around a shared mission that inspires them and working in ways that correspond with their values creates an environment where they thrive.
People who have an environment in which they are nourished are happy. And people who are happy are four times as productive as people who are unhappy.
If that’s not enough incentive, think about the fact that we spend at least 1/3rd of our lives at work.
Creating a positive collaborative growth-oriented environment, improves the lives of everyone from the CEO to the front-line worker.
How do you create an optimal culture in a virtual space?
What does creating an experience where staff thrive mean in a virtual world? What is workplace culture to a remote worker?
Above, I define culture as the lived experience of the accumulation of employee attitudes and behaviors that arise from shared values, norms, expectations, and vision.
Because experiences, norms, expectations, and behaviors automatically change when the constellation of the workforce shifts, culture in a virtual space will be different than what you’ve already built.
The experience
Besides literally shifting out of the physical space of an office, workplace culture has also transitioned away from unintentional organic development toward a cultivated experience.
This experience starts when a potential employee first encounters your brand and continues through exit interviews.
If you haven’t moved from the older model of employee perks toward the modern employee experience, now’s the time to get intentional. In the new world of work, your bottom line is at stake.
What to do
As you map out your hybrid working model, your first stop should still be culture. The six aspects below will need to be re-thought and will be critical to getting it right.
Values
Your values may not change, but how they are expressed will. Perhaps open transparency is an organizational value. In the new hybrid model, you’re likely to find that the in-office access routes for information no longer exist, so you must change how you communicate. Take the time as you are planning your new hybrid model to explore how the expression of your shared values might shift and pre-plan your strategy.
Shared purpose
Having a sense of meaning and connection to a larger purpose has always been important for culture but will be even more critical as proximity diminishes. You must find new ways to ensure everyone is reminded of the mission and you must do this more frequently in a hybrid model.
Norms
What silent ever-present norms will change with a hybrid model? If kitchen chats and team bonding events disappear, how will you foster social interaction between employees? And/or do you have new norms popping up that you haven’t intentionally introduced? Are managers monitoring online presence now, though face-time wasn’t an issue previously? Purposefully list as many unspoken norms as you can and see if they align with your values. If they do, how will you foster them? If they don’t, how will you curtail them?
Conflict
Most people avoid conflict in the best of situations. In a hybrid scenario, it will be a lot harder to address conflict and if you aren’t paying attention, you could have many pots that begin boiling. Create a new framework for conflict resolution that addresses the reduction in face-to-face contact.
Visibility and accessibility
Dynamic leaders are both visible and accessible. How will you maintain your leadership if you or your staff are not as present day-to-day? How will you ensure your visibility? Conversely, how will you make staff feel seen and heard? How can they access you and/or other senior executives now that our don’t pass in the corridors?
Social capital
Presence used to be the mechanism by which you could develop relationships with your colleagues. This will be more difficult in a hybrid model. How will your employees feel connected to their peers? How will they create bonds that withstand stress?
And additional twist to this that you will need to consider is how to treat those who choose to work remotely fairly, alongside those who prefer to work from the office. Promotions, inside knowledge, feeling part of the team are often conferred on those who are in-person, rather than online.
In the new style of working, it is possible to maintain or create a culture where people feel connected and engaged in a shared mission. It just takes intentionality and forethought. Get planning!
If you want help thinking through the macro and micro of the new hybrid environment, schedule a free call with me!
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With gratitude to artist Karen Lynn for Crowd in vivid colour 4 Painting. Find this and more here: https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Crowd-in-vivid-colour-4/326599/7431747/view
