5 Ways to Create a Culture That Brings About Positive Change
Karen Carey (The Bahamas)
Have you ever wondered why some teams thrive in creating a positive and impactful work culture while others struggle to develop a sense of community and engagement? For some, leaders deciphering the intricate dynamics of a team’s culture can feel like unravelling a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle where the sheer number of tiny pieces feels daunting and almost intimidating. It’s as if you are steering down an endless complex sea of fragments that demand unimaginable patience and persistence.
You spend years working hard and making every effort to climb the career ladder and become a successful leader, only to find yourself grappling with this dilemma in your leadership journey. In this article, we will discuss ways to navigate some of the obstacles that may get in the way of building an engaged positive culture for transformative success.
Culture is the engine that powers an environment among employees. Culture is what you do. It is a set of values, behaviours, beliefs that shape how people interact, make decisions and behave. How well leaders equip themselves to create a workplace of psychological safety and trust, can be a powerful tool that ignites an environment for organisational effectiveness. When employees feel safe and comfortable, express their ideas, ask questions and admit mistakes without reprisal, it opens opportunities for team members to take risks, share diverse perspectives, embrace learning and stimulate creativity.
In a notable organisational shift, Google, known for its casual creative atmosphere, underwent a change when Sundar Pichal became CEO. He was intent on moving away from some earlier aspects of operating personally and emphasised a more focused and accountable culture. Chick-fil-A is renowned for its strong work culture, which among other things, cultivates a culture of its core values, including ”customer first”, “second mile service” and providing extensive training contributing to a positive growth-oriented environment. The leader’s commitment to supporting employees’ work-life balance, personal core values, sense of support and family-oriented culture are factors that illuminate the employees level of commitment and engagement towards a positive work environment.
Empathy and Self Awareness
When leaders cultivate and apply empathy in their leadership approach, they can benefit by significantly experiencing trust and loyalty. Employees feel understood and valued. By understanding oneself, the perspectives and emotions of team members, self-management, and relationship management, leaders not only create an environment where employees are more likely to collaborate effectively and support each other, it creates psychological safety and a more engaged team leading to higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity. Understanding people deeper and applying empathy, leads to richer relationships, deeper connections, and a world where compassion prevails.
Assess the Culture
The people around us have tremendous influence and how we navigate the interactions and experiences with them will determine in many ways how we respond to the situations, challenges, and triumphs in our life.
We can in many ways identify successful leaders who attribute their success to any number of engaged people’s relationships and experiences in their lives. As leaders, we have the opportunity to choose some individuals who bring value to the teams, and sometimes we inherit others when assuming a new role. Where there are opportunities to select individuals who bring greater value to our teams, the right fit for the team usually leads to significant wins in many aspects. Conversely, when we inherit a team of underperforming individuals, the leader must navigate the challenge of iterating individuals into their vision and work culture.
Source: iCN Issue 47 (Business Coaching); page 16
About Karen Carey
Karen Carey is a seasoned curator of leadership development experiences helping teams and individuals create clarity in their purpose, and transformation in their leadership journey. She has extensive executive corporate leadership experience and serves as Human Resources Consultant and Executive Coach. She helps growth-focused leaders to artfully co-create a transformative leadership journey, empowering them to lead with confidence and credibility.
Contact: info@globaladvisoryassociatesltd.com
