Building a Positive Culture for your Clients and Employees
The culture of a workplace is created by the actions of leaders, employees, clients, and stakeholders. Trickledown economics may be up for debate, but a positive workplace trickles down from the leader. As a leader, it starts with you.
Identifying the current culture is the first step. Determine what is working and what areas offer growth opportunities. Ask yourself and your employees what key characteristics are needed to succeed in this workplace.
The Mandt system® says, “The Culture of an organization is a reflection of the relationship between the people in the organization.” Many factors, including safety, play a part in developing these relationships.
Safety is not just about being physically safe but also about feeling psychologically safe. Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School explains psychological safety as “a belief one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.” In other words, team members feel safe taking interpersonal risks. As leaders, we should avoid blaming and focus on solutions.
Take care of negativity as soon as possible by speaking with employees who routinely speak poorly about others, other departments, or the workplace. Address issues head-on and encourage the employee to come to you rather than their co-workers, who likely cannot provide solutions. Be open to feedback from your team and clients. You can be confident in the decisions you make and seek to make improvements in your understanding.
Another factor in work relationships is the ability to demonstrate empathy. Empathy can be difficult because people need to understand what empathy is. For example, empathy is not agreeing with someone and does not mean you completely understand what the person is going through. It is a learned skill. Empathy is identifying another person’s feelings and perspective, even when you haven’t experienced the same circumstance. Demonstrating empathy can build your relationships with employees and be an important piece in helping them grow this skill themselves.
A leader should model and demonstrate a compassionate approach to employees’ suffering. By building a foundation of shared values and beliefs, you can remain connected and help each other battle through difficulties at work. Compassion can be cultivated through appreciation of employees and celebrating with them (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).
As leaders, we are nothing without our team! Make sure your team feels valued and heard. Encourage them to speak up about ideas they may have, solutions to problems they see, and any issues they face where they need help. Brainstorming with your team on an idea or solution can bring them together and help solidify team values.
Creating a positive work culture is great for the clients/customers who receive services. It helps supervisors have staff who are equipped, knowledgeable, and supportive. Employees benefit by getting a voice, co-worker support, and opportunities for professional growth.