The Reality of Your Company Culture

Organizational climates vary significantly from company to company and from industry to industry. What used to be appealing to the workforce – such as consistency and stability (from the company) – offered equal value to said company, such as unwavering loyalty (from the workforce). Now, several generations later and beyond the traditionalists and Gen-X-ers, corporations are being asked to adjust to a new wave of normalcy. Millennials are the largest generation yet and are searching for companies with distinct characteristics. These are the characteristics that comprise a corporate culture.

[Note: This is not a bad thing! I get it -- change intimidates: There is a fierce desire to cling to a present reality. However, that does not make us smarter, more innovative, and more competitive. I highly encourage you to embrace new methodologies and to learn from the generation that will be integral to our future composition.]

Culture is broad term – one that we use to define macro-cultures e.g., America; as well as micro-cultures such as a workplace (which is a micro-micro-micro culture). In defining culture, we attempt to attract talent and maintain said talent. Leveraging culture as a recruitment tool is a no brainer. The key, however, is to exude and embody the culture you aspire to possess.

Go into self-reflection mode for a moment. Have you ever interviewed with a company to learn their culture – the values that make the world go ‘round within the company – are in complete alignment with your own? Then, did you also join the team to later learn the idealism of their company culture was far from the reality? Odds are you’ve experienced this mismatch.

Nine out of 10 times, senior leadership thinks their culture is something it is not. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In extracting key issues and clear opportunity, companies are able to recreate who they want to be, or discover they simply have a piece of the puzzle that has been stifled or poorly communicated. From there, company leaders are empowered to make changes. If we go back to the initial point: awareness of company culture is a must to stay competitive. Millennials have optionality and won’t necessarily hang around while you figure it out!

I’d argue that the key here is humility. A foundational and absolutely necessary leadership trait. When company leaders are humble about not knowing everything, there is ample opportunity for improvement, sustained happiness, and decreased turnover.

Next week we will explore some outcomes of cultural assessments (from the thermometer principle). By identifying structural differences in organizations, often stemming from our own world beliefs and macro or micro-cultural influences, we come to understand the probability of conflict. It is then, when we understand the root of (some) conflict, empathy levels increase and we become more aware of what may be transpiring in our own place of work. This yields healthy discourse about the way we see the world and opens the door to resolution.

Virtual Conflict: Prepare and Succeed

Teams are integral to accomplishing tasks. From concept to execution, a well-functioning team can make the difference between a poor deliverable and an exceptional one.

Teams fascinate me. They are comprised of humans… And humans are complex. Each person’s belief system is varied; our construction of family beliefs, acceptance to social norms, and religious influence all effect how we communicate.

There’s a never-ending number of variables when dealing with people, which makes it understandable interpersonal conflict is a frequent visitor. In the context of work, employee conflicts can be poisonous. Morale crashes, productivity plummets, and key projects very well may suffer.

I am continuously asked how to manage conflict. One person’s resolve is another’s nightmare. I’ve talked about conflict before. First, you need to know the primary types of conflict.

Then, it’s helpful to know what your options are for handling conflict. But what about the benefits of handling conflict? Do you ever wonder what you’re working toward?

The beauty in conflict is that well-managed conflicts can increase trust, respect, and intimacy among employees within and across teams.  The challenge arises when conflict is occurring amidst virtual teams. Do not underestimate the helpfulness of face-to-face time. Personal interaction increases empathy. Without that human touch, task-based conflict can become personal conflict. Remember: use video chat features whenever possible!

If you find yourself managing a virtual team, it will help you to be cognizant the probability of task-based conflict turning into personal conflict is high. How do you prepare to support virtual teamwork?  

Prior to online learning, I would not have found this solution so powerful, but in looking at the research from Ann Majchrzak who has studied virtual projects at many organizations, she found successful teams use one important tool: a discussion board. 

A discussion board demands a shared virtual workspace. In our global and connected workforce, a virtual workspace is easy to come by. Here are the advantages in implementing a discussion board for your virtual team:

• Just like Slack, IM, or any chat feature, communication is often instant. That regularity in communicating creates a norm that accepts on-demand Q&A, regardless of a scheduled time to speak with the team. What this does is empower the team to ask questions while simultaneously offering visibility to the rest of the team. Others may share the same concern. Rather than let an issue fester – waiting for the opportune time to broach the topic (and then you find out it isn’t an issue to begin with!) – the discussion board forum allows transparency as well as communication frequency.

• It’s not helpful to have five different resources to communicate through. Thus, if you are working with a virtual team, set expectations for how inquiries should be conveyed. Don’t leave the team to guess if they should be communicating via email, phone, chat, discussion board (or anything in between!).

• Having an open forum for team collaboration and discussion will elicit honestly and varied perspectives. Set time to review each composition – you want your team to be heard (and let them know that they are!).

• The primary perk in having a centralized location that supports discussion, questions, and collaboration, is to build trust. When used appropriately (make sure to set ground rules for communication!) the discussion board will become a safe space. Each person will have the opportunity to share their insights or opinions. By requiring everyone to share their input in an educated, professional manner, professionalism will evoke healthy disagreements, not uncivil ones.

Test it out. Need help setting it up? Happy to help.

Middle Managers: Why the Focus?

For those of you reading my blog, you know you can expect an array of leadership insights each week. But at the core of BVC is a belief: the belief middle managers are essential to your organization. Just how essential? Let’s explore.

Imagine a budding company of 100 people. There is a healthy C-suite – from CEO to CRO, making up less than 10 percent of the company. Then imagine the VPs; there are four departments whose VPs report into the C-suite. Now, let’s skip a level and go to “worker bees” – the junior support staff, budding savants, what have you. Not too long ago, when the company was at just 60 people, those then juniors knew little about managing. Yet, they are now the tenured professional, managing a team of two or more (these individuals are now the big group we skipped moments ago!).

With such scale, is it probable the new managers received coaching and/or training? For their area of expertise, perhaps. But for management? Unlikely.

There’s no question that top management, namely executives, play a significant role in setting the overall direction of the company. I’m not debating this. But I am shedding light on the fact companies invest a lot (we are talking billions of dollars) on executive leadership or “executive coaching” as it’s coined. I’ll be the first person to share this service is helpful; we should all continue to grow, learn, and evolve. I also know some awesome executive coaches if you are in the market. But to that point, we should start this self-exploration and education far before we wear the VP or C-suite title.

The best managers are able to work closely with their teams, and simultaneously offer valuable contributions. These managers are not only equipped with the technical skills, but they encourage an environment of consistent feedback, acknowledgement, and respect. Unsurprisingly, these are the leadership elements we spoke about a couple weeks ago.

Middle managers are not only responsible for their team’s production, they are a primary driver of performance! Since this is the case, managers must be equipped with managing conflict — 30 percent of a manager’s time each week — and promoting cohesion. Decreasing conflict through effective management, by even 10 percent, is monumental to time effectiveness and results.

Middle managers have incredible influence. Not only on culture, but on productivity. Again, they are essential to the business(!), and are worth the investment.

Vision + Structure: For the Directionally Challenged

When you are driving to a place you’ve never been, you make sure you have directions. For most of us that means we are using our phone’s GPS, myself included. [I was raised to use and read a map, but learned quickly motion sickness ensues. Thank goodness I have this little technological wizard telling me where to go!] And that’s the point: we need to know where we are going. Without direction, we get lost, arrive late to our destination, or miss the opportunity all together.

Similarly, we need to know where we are going when it relates to our business and be aware of how we guide those who work within.  

Creating a vision.
A vision is a mental model of an ideal future state. Do you want your team to be functional and the depiction of strength? Or do you want a disjointed group of people running in oppositional directions?  

A vision plays a central role in many of the common theories of leadership. It’s the glue to an organization and its culture. A vision can be conveyed in a number of ways: through a picture, a significant change, value structures, a map with noted goals, or a defined challenge with correlated steps to conquer the feat!

How is a vision articulated and implemented?

• Adapt the vision to the audience.

  • Have the framework and know what you want – but portray it in a way your team(s) can hear you.

• Highlight the values of the vision.

  • Values drive us – they’re the intrinsic motivators that guide us to behave a certain way.

• Choose the right language (words) and symbols that are motivating and inspiring.

  • Remember, we all learn differently! Get creative.

• Walk the walk.

  • Do what you say and say what you do.

• Set expectations.

  • We keep coming back to this (it’s important). If your vision is the driving force behind your company – as it often begins, but your intent is to keep it that way – make sure your new hires embody the values you’ve put forth. Maintaining and reinforcing expectations will keep you on track for the output you desire.

Along with vision, comes setting the tone.  

Tone.
In order to do this, provide structure to your team members – almost like providing a blueprint. It gives meaning and a sense of security or direction. (Examples include a code of conduct or a company manual.)

Next, clarify norms and build cohesiveness.

Clarify Norms.
Norms are the rules of behavior that are established and shared by group members (e.g., starting meetings on time and staying on task). Sometimes we think norms are common sense – but they’re not! They need to be defined and articulated.

Once norms are defined, cohesiveness can prevail. It’s the “we-ness” of a group. It’s associated with consistency and is linked to increased participation, as well as better interaction. Better interactions yield higher innovation and encourage uninhibited creativity.

When we look at the journey of the vision as an overarching theme – with achievement at the end of the spectrum – we realize how essential all facets of this process are to an organization. Once the vision is firm and norms are defined, cohesion is underway but there’s still room for expressed and implied standards of excellence. In fact, there are six key factors essential for members to function effectively. These include:

• Skills

• Initiative

• Expectation of treatment

• Deadlines

• Goals

• Consequences  

If your team is struggling, assess whether you’ve reiterated the vision, the norms, and the expectations. Then look at the aforementioned list. What can you do to improve their contributions? Odds are there are multiple steps you can take (many included here!) to help lead your teams in a helpful, purposeful, direction.