All organizations exist to prevent deviance. Organizations aim for stability and end up in the middle. Not bad, but neither extraordinary. The natural focus is on what’s wrong and to fix that. Think of the medical perspective, legal, and business. But in the middle is not where the magic happens… The big dollar question is: How do you get organizations …
Retention: does your Culture help them stay?
66% of professionals are not planning to stay at their organization long-term. What are you doing to retain them longer? Do you develop your organizational culture and offer them a reason to stay? Retention of great employees can be extremely cost-efficient as the recruitment and on-boarding processes take time, energy and money. Every time a new colleague enters the organization …
Recruitment: Hiring for Current or Desired Culture?
Does your organizational culture attract job applicants? Culture represents the identity of the organization and it can attract people if it radiates outside the office walls. A positive culture can be a magnet to the professionals that your organization is looking for! Professionals are more and more looking for fulfillment at work and seeing their careers as an integral part …
Leadership: the Hero, the Servant, and the Host
What would you rather be: a heroic leader or a servant leader? Which do you need to develop a positive culture where people and performance thrive? Most people don’t want and cannot be either. It can be demanding to be the hero who solves everything. It can be frustrating to be a servant who serves everyone. Positive Leadership Then what …
Hack the Culture with Micro Changes
Some organizations are still operating on industrial-age paradigms. One of my clients was working with the IT department of a very large insurance company. They were building an online platform for insurance clients to upload their documents, download their policies, make claims, and so on. The IT department embraced the Scrum methodology; they needed to be agile to serve their …
Culture Matters: Service Versus Technical Companies
Is culture less important in a tech company? While it’s crucial when you provide services, based on both research and practice, the answer is no. Culture matters everywhere. The Supermarket Organizations that provide a service to clients depend on culture. Services are “people work”. The added value is created in interaction with the client and this results in an experience. …
Buy-in for Culture?
How can you get buy-in to do something about the culture? It’s a question people ask me often. “It’s obvious: our associates are unhappy with the way we do things around here”. “Our factory’s performance indicators go downhill.” “Retention is a disaster: new hires leave within three months.” “Employee health is vital but leaders dismiss it as soft stuff. We …
Positive Culture is Crucial for Remote Teams
Flexible work isn’t just the future of work–it’s already here. Flexible work arrangements are a priority for top job seekers. If you need to recruit and retain millennials to keep your workforce up to date, don’t force them into an office from 9 to 5. Especially in a labor market where companies are competing for the best hires: offering flexibility …
Online learning for onsite Culture Change
Culture can be the multiplier to either success or failure for organizations. As we’ve seen in my earlier article, a toxic culture might cause productivity to decrease by 40% while a positive culture might boost performance with at least 20% – but probably more (estimate based on research and my client work). That makes the need apparent to consciously develop …
Tough or Toxic Culture? You pay
Why would organizations invest in developing an effective organizational culture? The answer is that it impacts organizational performance and that culture, as it’s hard to copy, can be a competitive advantage. It’s an asset, as Kevin Stiroh, a bank supervisor, says in Harvard Business Review. “A firm’s cultural capital is a type of asset that impacts what a firm produces …
What Culture helps you Thrive?
Whether you are looking for a job, contemplating a move in your career, or staying where you are: what is your ideal organization culture? When would you be at your best? Remember that your time on earth is priceless! Don’t settle for the daily grind. Look for Culture Culture goes deep, from values and beliefs to daily habits, and it’s …
Performance Boost via a Positive Culture
Is there proof that organizational culture matters? Does it really determine performance? Let’s look at the ground-breaking study of Professors John Kotter and James Heskett. They studied the corporate cultures of over 200 companies (including Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, ICI, Nissan, and First Chicago) and tracked their economic performances over an 11-year period. What they found is fascinating: your culture can enhance …