I still remember walking into my first job and not knowing what to expect. At the time, we're thrusted into this new world of 'working' that seems so adult and scary. But we get through it, largely down to the fundamental role that organisational culture plays in the workplace.
There is the tendency to believe that the culture is better than reality, which is dangerous, and intriguing, as it highlights that we all have a different idea of what makes the ideal working environment.
When I say organisational culture, I mean the attitudes and beliefs that forms that DNA of a team. From the banter we have with colleagues, to the leadership style of our managers- it all stems from the culture instilled within your place of work.
What is the 'new' organisational culture?
The biggest organisational change we've seen in recent years is the shift towards flexible working (working from home), and the increased use of digital communication, namely Microsoft Teams, to conduct meetings and facilitate group working.
There has also been a push towards the value of you (yes, you?!), as an employee that is. The focus on employee mental health has become an area that employers have taken a lot more seriously (which may become even harder if hybrid working goes fully remote).
Tied into mental health, is the importance of creating a healthy work-life balance, with workers (and some companies) advocating for a four day work week to help achieve this. Adopters of the four day week have noticed improvements in productivity, morale and decreased absence.
New technology is also improving work life, with wearable tech improving employee welfare (still in the early stages of adoption), artificial intelligence improving productivity via automation, and improved workspace management technology that optimises worker coordination and interdependence (say good-bye to your office cubicles!).
How can culture be improved?
Support from those in senior positions is essential in achieving change in an organisation. But first, they must be able to spot the issues, understand the perils of a poor culture and compare these to the benefits of a good work culture.
This could be via a structured approach (suggested below by Kurt Lewin, famous psychologist), whereby the culture is taken apart, analysed and actioned to improve the areas that may be causing the organisational culture to be less effective.
The challenge with current workplace culture is trying to embrace future generations into the workplace (which I touched upon in a previous post). Although it looks positive from an inclusivity perspective, there needs to be steps taken towards understanding the inherent differences between each employee (whilst avoiding stereotypes). A way of navigating the issues associated with culture change would be to have collective input from employees at all levels of the organisation. The approach below by Pearce & Pons achieves a 'shared vision' and decreases the likelihood of resisted change by negating the top-down approach.
There also needs to be recognition given to the two-way relationship between organisational culture and employee retention. For this to happen, there needs to be an understanding of each individual's motivators (intrinsically and extrinsically) and the culture that breeds success for them.
Conclusions
Often understated; organisational culture plays a fundamental role in working life and needs to be understood from an employee and employer perspective. By independently considering each worker, managers can create unresisted change at all levels and improve work life. All employees need to be adaptable and be willing to change; especially as the workplace changes with technological advances and the shift towards flexible working.
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