My Holiday Wish For You? A Healthy Corporate Culture.

Every business leader knows that thriving in today’s marketplace requires a confluence of factors – a compelling vision, inspired leadership, prioritization and associated investment, competitive intelligence, and the list goes on. I often see "healthy corporate culture" listed as one of many requirements for long-term success. But is it really one of many?

Not long ago, I shared this status update: “Culture is the soil in which business strategies thrive or die.” Over the years, various experts have maintained how even the best strategy withers in a toxic corporate culture, and I agree. But what constitutes a toxic corporate culture? Better yet, how do you foster a healthy one? And why should you care?

Below are three “healthy culture” claims your company should aspire to make by the end of 2016. You can transform your corporate culture in one year, with a clear vision, a consistent message, and engaged leadership.

1. On Vision: “Every one of our employees knows where we’re going.”

You’re planning a trip and deciding what to take. Or who to take. Or which route to take. Or what kind of vehicle to take. Can you make any of these decisions if you don’t know where you’re going? Of course not.

Some may wonder why I say every employee should know. Let me tell you a personal story. Last year, my husband and I took our children on a surprise vacation. Thankfully, we didn’t have serious business to conduct, because the entire journey was filled with questions about where we were going and why we wouldn’t tell them. Would it be cold? Or hot? Or busy? Or relaxed? Who else was going? And why couldn’t they know? They begged for more and more hints. We obviously knew this would happen, and it was part of the fun. But it’s not fun when it happens at work. When you don’t communicate a clear vision to your employees, they spend valuable time wondering where you’re going, filling in the blanks (inaccurately), and getting frustrated because they don’t know.

The other issue? We packed for our children. Once we arrived, they were missing items we didn’t know they needed. Every single child uttered a version of this statement: “If you’d told me, I would have brought my _____.” This was a family vacation, so a short trip to the convenience store solved the problem. Not so easy in a work context, however. Can your teams properly prepare if they don’t know what they’re preparing for?

Simply put, a clearly communicated vision supports focus, productivity, and preparation.

2. On Inclusion: “Diversity of thought and experience are fully and intentionally leveraged at our company.”

Every company has blind spots, but are you purposely shedding light on them by including diverse points of view? Beyond the business value of optimizing solutions and mitigating risk, the cultural value of diversity and inclusion cannot be overestimated. Your employees want to add value. If segments of your population feel chronically underutilized, they eventually disengage. They then discuss their concerns with each other, and disillusionment grows like a virus. You ask them (along with everyone else) to work harder to drive progress, but some now give only what they can afford to lose. If they attempt to share their concerns, and instead of truly listening, you respond with the many reasons why they shouldn’t feel that way, they retreat further. (I’m not being dramatic; this happens often.)

Leaders, this is a good time to look in the mirror. Passion only survives in the margins for so long. In time, those who feel left out either quite and leave, or quit and stay. Unfortunately, both are expensive.

Lack of inclusion compromises innovation, problem solving, retention, recruiting, and ultimately translates into real losses in replacement costs, or ill-informed decisions that have to be undone.

3. On Connectedness: “Our employees feel connected to our leaders and each other.”

When you're truly connected to someone, communication flows freely and honestly. You enjoy mutual trust. And you’re committed to each other’s success. When you’re not connected, you prioritize self-interest and generally hold back. Leaders who create healthy environments focus equally on culture and results. While they know it’s important to set high standards of performance and hold people accountable, they also value the power of a connected team. A team held at arm’s length is bad for business. You will never know their true needs and frustrations, which puts you at a serious disadvantage.

Connectedness encourages truth telling and commitment. You need both to achieve your business goals.

Do you have a culture strategy? Are your executives engaged in your company’s cultural wellness? Can your employees articulate your vision and purpose? If you answered no to any of these questions, you’ve got important work ahead of you. The war for talent is real, and the war for profitable revenue growth is even more real.

There’s no time like the present to put something important on the list. Wishing you a happy holiday, and a healthy culture in the new year!

Tara Jaye Frank is VP of Multicultural Strategy for Hallmark Cards, Inc. and the author of Say Yes: A Woman's Guide to Advancing Her Professional Purpose, written to help women from all cultural backgrounds chart a career course they can believe in and achieve. Follow her on Twitter @tarajfrank, Instagram @tarajayefrank, Facebook at Facebook/tarajayefrank, or visit her at tarajayefrank.com.