Organizations with cultures that fit their goals, missions, and values consistently exceed expectations, while those that ignore culture are left behind. According to Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Cultures, a welcoming, inclusive culture is an advantage. A company’s environment drives innovation, behavior, and customer service strategies.
Identifying cultural needs within organizations is rarely easy, and even experienced leaders may overlook issues. To gain the understanding needed for effective culture change, leaders must look for signs as they evaluate their companies.
Declining Financial and Performance Metrics
While fluctuations in the bottom line may arise from changes in the market, declining metrics are a cause for concern. If the company’s profits and ROI are decreasing along with quality and customer service, its culture may need an overhaul. The team at Culture Partners can define an organization’s culture and create lasting accountability. Schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our senior partners today.
Reluctant Communication Among Teams
Communication is essential to an organization’s success. Are people within the company unable or unwilling to work together during challenging times? Do they remain silent when it’s time to speak up? While differences in communication style may arise, it’s crucial to consider how the work environment supports those variances. When communication stops, it’s time to re-evaluate the corporate culture.
Losing the Competitive Edge
It’s a business leader’s job to observe the competition while maintaining market share. Competitors’ dominance doesn’t always indicate cultural problems, but it should encourage leaders to strive for improvement.
Dwindling Employee Engagement
Worker engagement is a crucial indicator of a company’s health. When teams engage, they’re successful, productive, and working in ways conducive to cultural development. If everyone seems to be pulling back, it’s time to re-evaluate the environment.
Employees’ Resistance to Change
Companies that recognize the changing nature of the business world are more likely to succeed than those staying on the same level. Today’s healthiest companies see change as a necessity rather than an unfortunate reality. If employees resist any kind of change, consider leading a cultural transformation.
Missing Business Opportunities
Business opportunities come and go—and even the most successful leaders can’t take advantage of them all. If employees don’t feel empowered to act on opportunities as they arise, they likely do not feel supported or encouraged—and that’s a critical issue. When there are more missed chances than seized openings, cultural change may be necessary.
Low Retention of Top Talent
Are you struggling to retain top performers? Is it hard to find talent in the industry? High-performing and productive people like to work in organizations that foster effective cultures. If your company finds it challenging to keep good people on the payroll, it may be ready for a cultural shift.
What Comes Next?
Identifying the need for change within an organization is a crucial step, but implementing those changes is a different matter. Determining the need for cultural transformation is an ongoing process that increases awareness—which is a quality needed for positive, lasting change.
Business leaders can change their cultures significantly. Now that you have learned which signs indicate the need for evolution, you must increase awareness from within. By identifying weaknesses and working on them, executives and team members can bring lasting change. Book an hour with a senior partner to discuss your company’s goals and shape its culture.
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