Cultivating a Cohesive Company Culture

Company culture that works is intentionally crafted and supports the goals and objectives of the whole. A strong and thriving culture fosters collaboration and cohesion. The gold standards for workplace culture are a workstyle that enhances the flow, commitment and outcomes of work performance and objectives.

In today’s workplace, employees or team members come to the workplace with a predetermined concept of how they work and how they believe an organization should work. That is to be expected since we are in a local and global marketplace with different leadership styles from organization to organization. ?

With this in mind, let’s look at three workplace styles. Selecting the right one for your company can make the difference between your company being in perpetual survival mode or one that is cohesive, advancing and productive. As you learn about these styles think about yourself first and then your company. What do you relate to that you like and want to do more of and what do you see that needs to change for the good of the whole?

The Dependent

The first style is the dependent work style. Individuals with a dependent work style rely heavily on direction and guidance from their leadership or their colleagues. They are seldom independent thinkers, self-starters or strategic thinkers. They want to be told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. They see themselves as having little or no ownership of the work, they rely on others to own the work and the outcomes. They require close supervision, regular input and explicit instructions. When it comes to making critical decisions, they prefer that they are made by someone else. Team members with this style tend to be steady as it goes people. They won’t rock the boat; they also won’t problem-solve or take much initiative without being told to do so.

The Independent

In contrast to the dependent worker, independent workers prefer to operate with little or no oversight. They set their own agenda, goals and at times their own initiatives. While they are on the team, they see themselves as outside of the team with special privileges to do what they want in the way that works best for them. They find accountability to be uncomfortable, they will often avoid it when they can. These members are not necessarily bad members, they are just not the ones who value teamwork in a way that moves the company forward together. They may be high achievers who are primarily concerned about their department, their task or responsibilities and highly value their way of thinking. The challenge for this work style is that there is low transparency, low collaboration and low communication.

The Interdependent

The Interdependent work style understands how their role fits into the broader organizational context. They have a very clear understanding of the benefits of an interdependent workplace where the success of the whole is the success of all. They have a mindset of transparency, shared ownership and shared outcomes. They may not always know how the team should work together but they believe that the team should work together to get the best and most lasting outcomes. This collaborative mindset can lead to innovative practices, shared knowledge and wisdom with the ability to both contribute and learn from the team. This produces stronger organizational cohesion and a more forward-looking and mature company culture.

If you want to have a balanced and healthy company culture, co-create it with your team members. Here are a few steps to get you started:

1.??????? With a short survey or a quick one-on-one check-in, ask your influential members about their style and what it means for them to work that way.

2.??????? Present the vision that you want the organization to become interdependent vs. the other two styles and ask what might need to shift for them to become more interdependent, less dependent, less independent. It’s important to note that this transition happens over time and will create a bit of discomfort along the way.

3.??????? Make your definition and goals around creating an interdependent company well known and clear. What does it look like? When your company is operating as an interdependent company, what are people doing, how are they communicating? How are they connecting with and supporting each other?

Effective leaders know that no organization is one hundred percent defined by a specific work style, however, they will agree that there is an optimal way of working that supports the bigger goals, commitments and vision for the company.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of each workstyle, you can intentionally create the type of community that you want. This leads to a transformative experience as you all change and learn from each other. It is also a way of operating that is sustainable and built to withstand organizational changes, transitions and growth.

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