The Cost of Doing Workplace Culture Wrong
There are many definitions and descriptions of workplace culture. Gallup boils it down to “the way things are done around here” and foundationally speaking, this sums it up nicely but there is more to it.
Finishing 2021 and leading into 2022, the challenges around building and maintaining a positive workplace culture will be a strategic priority that organizations and its’ senior leaders can no longer ignore or pass off to human resources as a sidebar project. Your employees and customers will demand much more and rightly so.
On July 1, 2021, ESPN reported that the NFL (National Football League) had fined the Washington Football Team $10 million as a result of the league's investigation into the team's workplace culture. The fine will go to charity and in the grand scheme of things, probably a drop in the bucket for those with deep pockets. Reading further in the report, we learn that allegations from sexual harassment complaints had been reported over the last fifteen year period. You can read the rest here to see what is being put in place now to resolve and hopefully repair a workplace that should be welcoming to everyone.
It is difficult to imagine the climate and culture like this one simply because most of us don’t function to that extreme and will not likely see a multi-million dollar fine as a result of our workplace culture neglect. However, there is such a thing as death by a thousand cuts and when you don’t focus on the right attributes to drive a positive workplace culture, the cost to do business will be higher. Shareholders and non-profit board of directors won’t tolerate it, especially now. As a leader, you have to put workplace culture at the top of the list.
As I coach my own leadership team at Johnson Health Center and other leaders in my own consulting business here at Impact2Lead, I implore them to never take their finger off the pulse of what’s happening in their place of business. In 2020, we used the crisis as an opportunity to step up our presence and really focus on the people. This was not the case everywhere and these are the organizations who will have a lot of work to do. To my surprise, many of my CEO colleagues across the health center space went home based early on and never conducted virtual all-staff meetings or town hall style updates. When you don’t communicate, people will make up their own version of the story and perception equals reality as we all know.
I was speaking with Tammy Green, CEO of Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center on this very topic recently and our philosophies are closely aligned. The one thing we talked about was how committed leadership has to be. It is a 24/7 level of dedication and responsibility, especially now. As a CEO, the necessary engagement is more intense than ever. This is not a popular statement but if you are signing up for a work/life balance executive leadership position, they do not exist. You have to integrate the two and manage things appropriately to accurately understand your workplace culture and promote positivity if you truly care.
For me, I am passionate about the work I do with other leaders and my own staff at JHC. It centers on unleashing the potential in others and improving the life of everyone I come in contact with. That’s my why and purpose and for a leader to be successful, you must know your own why and purpose and make sure it is aligned with the organization’s view. This is underpinned with a core values foundation. It all starts and ends with core values – period.
This is exciting work everyone because as leaders, we are responsible for the stewardship of others and when you make it about them, the return on the investment is incredibly rewarding.
I urge you all, make workplace culture your top priority this year and keep it front and center throughout your career. Don’t wait around to see what your organization’s cost of doing workplace culture wrong will be. It may be too late.
Here’s to your Impact!
Gary