Culture is one of those nebulous things that it’s hard to put your finger on: it’s something you instinctively know is spot on or out of kilter.
Get it right and you have a happy workforce who will hopefully ensure that customers are happy too. Get it wrong and there is a chain reaction in the opposite direction.
But how do you go about changing the bad habits that have led to an unhappy working environment? Prithvi Shergill, global head of HR at HCL Technologies, shares his tips for creating a happy and productive culture:
1. Understand employees’ beliefs and values
The make-up of every organisation is different, but it is reflected in the attitudes of the employees who help to create it. To harness the power that lies within, it is important to understand the beliefs and values that drive them – and to use that understanding in order to build the necessary structures to enable change and success.
2. Communicate clearly with staff
An organisation is defined by its leaders and strong leadership can ensure that a large heterogeneous group of people works towards the same goals. But to make this situation a reality, they need to articulate and communicate their intentions clearly to workers. Doing this creates a culture that demonstrates openness, responsibility and mutual respect.
3. Ensure that workers understand the organisation’s value proposition
An organisation’s success is often based on employees working towards the same goal. For such a scenario to take place, it is important that they understand the organisation’s value proposition and the aims it is seeking to meet. Ensuring that personnel buy in to this vision will greatly increase the likelihood of success. An organisational culture based on trust and transparency ensures that both the employer and employee are accountable to each other and collaborate to achieve the same goals.
4. Rework programmes, processes and policies to support change
Once the organisational belief system and philosophies have been articulated, it is important to find ways to nurture and further them. This means shaping actions and behaviours, programmes, processes and policies to ensure that change is sustainable.
5. Ensure that the organisation delivers on its promises
To attract and retain talent in today’s environment, it is vital that the organisation delivers on its promises. Doing the right thing and taking the moral high ground go a long way towards creating a kind, ethical, and nurturing environment.
