Is your company experiencing high employee turnover and low productivity? These could be signs of an unhealthy work culture.
According to Gallup, Inc.- a multinational analytics and advisory company, only 2 in 10 employees strongly agree that they feel connected to their workplace culture. This highlights a significant challenge for managers striving to create an environment where team members feel valued and motivated.
Here, we need to understand that workplace culture isn’t just about hosting team-building events. It’s about creating an ecosystem where employees feel valued, motivated, and aligned with the company’s vision.
To achieve this, it’s essential to first analyze the actual problems within your existing culture. Recognizing the flaws with the current policies will help you create an inclusive culture. With this foundation in place, the next step is to explore practical approaches to transforming your workplace culture.
Here, I will share some key strategies that you should consider when changing the workplace culture. Whether you’re navigating cultural shifts due to organizational growth or addressing challenges, these actionable insights will help you build a workplace where everyone can thrive.
The signs that a workplace culture needs to change
Identifying the need for cultural change within an organization is a tough job. Even the most experienced managers may overlook the signs that their environments require a tune-up. To recognize the change, you need a highly tuned sense of awareness and an understanding that the signs can be hidden.
In my experience, one of the most common red flags is a high turnover rate. People like to work within cultures that support them and make them feel satisfied with their roles. This is frequently accompanied by poor communication, even when communication is crucial. When it stops flowing openly and smoothly, it might mean that the culture is due for an overhaul.
Perhaps most concerning is when employee engagement levels are low or nonexistent. If your team is engaged, they are likely productive. If they are consistently disengaged, you need to re-evaluate the environment.
Lastly, poor work-life balance can also be a major red flag. When employees feel overworked and unable to maintain a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives, it can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and even increased turnover.
A company’s culture is the foundation for future innovation. An entrepreneur’s job is to build the foundation. – Brian Chesky
7 key strategies for changing workplace culture
1. Conduct an analysis of the current culture
Before implementing a new culture strategy, I highly recommend reviewing the current culture of the workplace. By knowing it, you have a vision of what parts of the culture are efficient and which are not. This can be done through employee satisfaction surveys, feedback sessions, and organizational audits. Identifying areas for improvement will help set a solid foundation for the changes ahead and will ensure that the new strategy is both relevant and impactful.
2. Define clear values and vision
Identifying the values that are most important to the organization and its mission. Engage leadership teams in discussions to ensure these values align with the company’s overall business strategy. Once defined, these core values should be clearly communicated to all employees through meetings, internal communications, etc. For effective communication, you can use team communication tools like ProofHub
If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization’s people first.” – John Katzenbach
3. Leaders must first experience the new culture
Leadership plays a critical role in changing culture in the workplace. They act as the most immediate example of company culture to each of your employees. Leaders must first experience and follow the company’s core values and demonstrate them through their actions and decisions. By setting an example, leaders can influence the behaviour and attitudes of employees.
Moreover, leaders must consistently implement the new culture through policies, practices, and day-to-day interactions. This includes recognizing and rewarding behaviours that align with the new values and ensuring accountability at all levels.
Read more: Top 5 inclusive leadership skills for a thriving workplace
4. Collaborate with all employees
I believe that engaging employees in developing the culture strategy is vital for its success. Employees who feel involved are more likely to buy in and support the new initiatives.
This sense of ownership not only enhances their morale but also cultivates a shared commitment to the organization’s culture and vision. Furthermore, when employees see their contributions valued and recognized, it strengthens their connection to the company. To achieve this, you can encourage open communication through workshops, surveys, and group decisions.
5. Gradually implement the changes
Instead of changing the entire culture in a single go, give team members time to adjust to the idea of change. Implementing changes slowly will help you face less resistance and help your employees feel happier about the change. It might take several weeks, but trust me, it will be easier for your employees to follow it.
Frances Geoghegan says: “The best advice I can give is to not implement all changes straight away. Begin phasing in the changes slowly; this will give your team members plenty of time to adjust and adapt to the new culture comfortably.”
6. Provide continuous learning opportunities
Let your team adapt to the new workplace culture. They’re not used to it, so it will be hard for them to adapt. Offer training programs, workshops and resources to help them understand and buy into the new values and behaviours of the organization.
In addition to formal training, encourage them to ask questions, share feedback and seek clarification when needed. A learning culture not only makes transitions smoother but empowers employees to thrive in their roles. Change is hard, so make sure you provide guidance and support throughout.
Read more: Organizational culture: A complete kit for cultivating greatness in 2024
7. Measure and adjust
Change is a never-ending process, and no strategy is perfect from the start. So before you fully implement the new culture, get feedback from your team members. After all, the change will impact them the most. If they don’t like it, you will face the same old problems of toxic productivity and high turnover rates.
Also, while designing the company culture, leave some margin for adjustment. It will help you refine your approach based on real-world outcomes and employee feedback. If some strategies aren’t delivering the expected results, don’t hesitate to adjust. Adaptability means the new culture evolves in a way that aligns with your organization’s goals and addresses the needs and concerns of your team.
Bottomline
The decline in productivity, low team engagement, and high employee turnover rates are the major reasons that indicate your current workplace culture is not up to standard and that you need to change it.
To change the policy, you first need to understand the problem with the current policy. Then, gradually implement it in the workplace, starting from leaders to team members. While designing the new policy, always leave a margin for the adjustment so you can refine it without making any major changes.
To effectively enhance these things, you can use team collaboration tools such as ProofHub. It allows you to communicate with your team members in real-time, enabling effective teamwork.
Don’t just take my word for it! Try ProofHub now with a 14-day free trial and streamline your projects and teams effectively!
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