7 Tips to Reset Your Workplace Culture
Australian leadership panel discuss culture challenges including toxicity, accountability, AI and learning.
Culture is humanity’s superpower, but "cultural terrorists act as kryptonite."
Karl Treacher 's vivid description brought some comic amusement to last week's fascinating panel discussion on culture. But it also highlights the destructive element of a toxic workplace culture , and how assessing and resetting culture could be the most important, albeit difficult, task for leaders this year.
The panel of experts
Led by Culture Institute CEO and Lead Culture Partner at Heidrick & Struggles Karl Treacher , our panel of experts included Carlo Tarquinio Group Brand & Innovation Director, Reece Group), Nina Azzopardi (Head of People & Culture, Beyond Blue) and Katrina Blair (CFO, Tennis Australia).
The moderator was CEO of The Executive Connection (TEC) Stephanie Christopher .
Read on for 7 tips to reset your workplace culture in 2024.
7 tips to reset your workplace culture
1. Conduct a Cultural Stocktake
Assess your current culture, identify the desired future culture (aligned with your strategy), and create a roadmap to bridge the gap. Involve top leadership in setting the cultural direction.
2. Align Leadership
Ensure leaders at all levels embody and role model the desired culture. Provide training on cultural leadership. Executive alignment is critically important so be willing to make tough decisions to remove leaders who are not aligned. As Karl told the panel, cultural norms have to be top-down for sustainable benefit.
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3. Foster Psychological Safety
Create a psychologically safe environment where people feel safe to take risks, ask questions, make mistakes , and voice concerns without fear of repercussions. However, keep people accountable and address toxic behaviours immediately. As Nina explained, if behaviours don’t feel okay (even a little bit) then that’s a warning sign. She admits it is really hard to do a “this is not okay” conversation, but courageous leaders have longer-term thinking at the heart of their leadership.
4. Encourage Learning and Collaboration
Promote continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across teams and generations. Younger generations want to learn . Leverage AI responsibly to augment these efforts while maintaining human connections.
5. Clarify Purpose, Roles, and Accountability
Ensure everyone understands the organisation's purpose and how their roles contribute to achieving it. Younger generations can be more self-actualised (“What is the meaning for me?”), says Karl. Provide creative space for people to deliver outcomes. Carlo says creativity is one of the secret weapons to drive results, so having strategic clarity where you can point the creativity is key.
6. Nurture Empathy and Authenticity
Cultivate empathy, compassion, and authentic behaviour among leaders and employees. Encourage people to bring their whole selves to work and understand each other's situations. Katrina reminded the panel that the people we invite into our workspace are people and leaders need to understand those people. “I care about you, what’s going on for you, what do you need?" Leaders have a huge role in that connection, she says.
7. Embrace Curiosity and Adaptability
Avoid clinging to old ways. Encourage leaders and employees to remain curious , question assumptions, and adapt to changing circumstances while staying true to core values.
In summary, the panel concluded that reshaping or resetting a culture is an ongoing process that requires commitment, consistency, and reinforcement through actions and behaviours at all levels of the organisation.
People, Culture & Leadership | Mindset & Executive Coach | | Rugby Coach | Champion of Life-long Learning | Mental Health Advocate | Property Expert
4 个月Leaders must create a culture of transparency and trust to empower all people to speak up without fear, rather than perpetuating a culture that excludes certain voices. An example of this is the stigma surrounding mental illness which can prevent individuals from seeking help and support, leading to feelings of isolation and shame. True leaders promote open conversations, education, and understanding. This gives us the opportunity to break down these barriers and create supportive environments for those experiencing mental health challenges. It's important to treat mental health with the same care and compassion as physical health and to encourage a culture where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness. This is what we should consider a culture of success. This is what leaders of leaders should consider best practice.
Workplace Skills Recognition and Business Improvement Systems Implementation
8 个月We don’t have tips we have systems and methods to address both psychosocial and physical hazards. Here's how our customers are empowering their teams to develop and sustain healthy, happy and performance cultures: Recognising and Respecting Job Skills: We encourage a culture where everyone's unique skills and contributions are acknowledged and valued. Fostering Collaboration and Fairness: Collaboration and teamwork are at the heart of our operations. We promote an environment of fairness where every team member feels included and respected. Cultivating a Learning Culture: We believe in continuous improvement. Our focus is on creating an environment where learning is not just encouraged but celebrated, leading to improved performance. Utilising Digital Tools: We leverage our digital platform to record and share "proof of work" data efficiently, ensuring transparency and accountability. Boosting Confidence: We aim to increase both personal and workplace confidence by providing support and recognition for achievements. Rewarding Excellence: Quality work is paramount to us. We incentivise and reward efficient and high-quality workmanship, fostering a culture of excellence.
Multipassionate Entrepreneur?? Vivacious Speaker, Emcee, Facilitator and Mentor ??Human Skills Development ?? Diversity & Inclusion ?? Joy & Connection
8 个月I love this! Thank you for sharing Growth Faculty. I wonder what could be done to empower business leaders to make this a priority. ??