5 Keys to Elevating People and Culture
Rich Johnson
After an intense year responding to pandemic-related challenges, many companies are now experiencing a welcome season of growth. But as organizations look to hire, workers are revisiting their priorities, seeking greater flexibility, increased compensation, and work that is meaningful and creates value in the world. These shifts are causing leaders to once again examine how to attract and retain talent, but equally as important, how to build the people functions and create a culture that will sustain long-term growth and success.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to elevating people and culture at your organization, consider these 5 steps:
1. Diversify Your Leadership Team
To start, ensure that your chief people officer is on the senior leadership team. Gone are the days when Human Resources can be relegated to some corner of the Operations “office”. People are at the heart of any business and the person who leads that function needs a seat at the table and a robust team to support their efforts. Secondly, diversity matters. It matters to your people, your customers and your business objectives. Set a goal to increase the number of women and racial-ethnic minorities in leadership. As you hire and promote, champion inclusive practices, and once these team members are on board, provide the training and tools necessary to support their success.
2. Adjust Your Decision-Making Lens
How decisions are made are a reflection of your values and priorities. In business, most decisions are made based on financial gain and shareholder value, and while these are legitimate and important criteria, companies also need to apply a people and culture lens to their decision making process. As you approach your next major growth decision, ask what impact it will have on your people. What are the implications of this acquisition on our culture? How do we ensure our people are able to maintain a quality of work and life that keeps them healthy and motivated? Where are the opportunities for transparency and creating ownership with this decision?
3. Operationalize Your Values
As a start-up and in the early stages of growth, organizational values convey the deeply held beliefs of the founders and they naturally shape the initial culture. But over time, culture is ultimately created through consistent behaviors. It is critical to expand the value phrases on your “about us” page into a call to action that articulates what your people are expected to do. For example, many companies value innovation or integrity, but what does that mean in terms of how you want your people to show up and work? Along with each value, consider writing three to five behavior statements that begin with the word “we”, and to ensure even greater adoption, integrate these behaviors into your training and your feedback / review processes.
4. Invest in Your Leadership Pipeline
A common challenge for growing companies is the expanding need for leaders who have both the competence and character to achieve your vision. Maintaining a people-first culture requires a leadership pipeline with people who are committed to your mission and who are steadily realizing their potential. Start with the belief that every team member is capable of growing and contributing even more, and give them access to resources that will prepare them for greater responsibility. Train team members for both skills and mindsets, cultivating their agility, emotional intelligence and strategic orientation. Whether their career at your company peaks at project lead or chief technical officer, your investment in their development will pay significant ROI.
5. Prioritize Belonging
Finally, do not underestimate the power of belonging. From retention to job performance, employer promoter scores to engagement, belonging has been shown to drive numerous business outcomes and overall happiness at work. At sr4 Partners, we define belonging as when people are known, confident, growing and valued. To be known involves being accepted for who you are and feeling a sense of connection to your colleagues. Being confident is about psychological safety; being trusted and comfortable trusting others. People are growing when they are expanding their capabilities and influence. And people feel valued when they are appreciated and know that their contributions matter. How do you create a sense of belonging throughout an entire company? Leaders set the tone by checking in with team members on each of the four aspects, but in daily interactions, every person at your company can contribute by creating an inclusive environment.
The work to elevate people and culture is never finished - but it also can’t wait. It’s an effort worth our very best. And although you’ll face significant challenges of time, resources, and even some resistance, you’ll also experience the incredible rewards of seeing individuals thriving, teams succeeding and your vision becoming a reality. It’s the work we love at sr4 Partners so if there’s anything we can do to support your journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.