Cultivating Culture
Something that comes up time and time again is this idea of culture in the workplace. Obviously in its simplest form, culture is the look, feel, atmosphere, beliefs etc. of an organization. But what truly creates these organizational cultures that makes people really want to be apart of them? Well for one, Graham Weston describes in his Ted Talks that we need the people first in order to sustain the culture. So then what draws people to organizations? He puts it beautifully when he says "What we all want, is to be valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission." That's a phrase I think we can all agree upon.
So then as managers what do we do to make this team inspiring and winning? As I touched upon in my earlier blog post most of the times the most inspiring and motivating team to be apart of is not one that provides people with lots of money, but gives people a sense of purpose in life. Weston says that the company that hires 18% of all Ivy League graduates is actually a non-profit called Teach for America. These graduates make about half as much as they would in other jobs, yet the company still has over 46,000 applicants at just about all times vying for a job there. Why? Because the culture that companies like Teach like America are built upon, are cultures that make you feel valued, like you have a purpose there that is so much bigger than yourself. People are so thankful that these graduates are taking a chunk of their life to help bring failing schools back to a good standing, helping to educate children in hopes of helping them have a brighter future. It's a very selfless job to have, but it gives people that work at organizations like this so much pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Weston also gives another great comparison of a culture that makes people proud to say they work there and then one that isn't quite as welcoming. Southwest Airlines is a great example of a company where management really aims to build a culture that is warm, welcoming, and respectful of their employees. They allow the flight attendants to get creative with how they communicate information to passengers as long as they hit upon all necessary points. They can sing, they can dance, they can be themselves. They are valued and accepted for who they are and they can feel proud to be a part of a winning team that is dedicated to transporting passengers from one location to another in a safe enjoyable way. On the other hand, American Airlines is a classic example of a very scripted structured airline. Management does not allow for attendants to drift from the script and allows for no personal creativity or growth to show through. As a member of that team, many employees do not feel welcomed by the gloomy culture and many aren't satisfied with their jobs.
While I may not be in the business of teaching or airlines, one thing I can take away from this is that in order to be a good manager, I need to create a culture that as Graham said makes us feel that we are all "valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission." This means taking time to know my employees, understanding what makes them who they are and accepting them for that. By understanding the individuals in an organization, one can continue to build a culture that embodies their beliefs, ideas, hopes, and dreams so that they can be proud to be apart of the team.
Creating Workplace Cultures, Energy of Inspired Employees
So then as managers what do we do to make this team inspiring and winning? As I touched upon in my earlier blog post most of the times the most inspiring and motivating team to be apart of is not one that provides people with lots of money, but gives people a sense of purpose in life. Weston says that the company that hires 18% of all Ivy League graduates is actually a non-profit called Teach for America. These graduates make about half as much as they would in other jobs, yet the company still has over 46,000 applicants at just about all times vying for a job there. Why? Because the culture that companies like Teach like America are built upon, are cultures that make you feel valued, like you have a purpose there that is so much bigger than yourself. People are so thankful that these graduates are taking a chunk of their life to help bring failing schools back to a good standing, helping to educate children in hopes of helping them have a brighter future. It's a very selfless job to have, but it gives people that work at organizations like this so much pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Weston also gives another great comparison of a culture that makes people proud to say they work there and then one that isn't quite as welcoming. Southwest Airlines is a great example of a company where management really aims to build a culture that is warm, welcoming, and respectful of their employees. They allow the flight attendants to get creative with how they communicate information to passengers as long as they hit upon all necessary points. They can sing, they can dance, they can be themselves. They are valued and accepted for who they are and they can feel proud to be a part of a winning team that is dedicated to transporting passengers from one location to another in a safe enjoyable way. On the other hand, American Airlines is a classic example of a very scripted structured airline. Management does not allow for attendants to drift from the script and allows for no personal creativity or growth to show through. As a member of that team, many employees do not feel welcomed by the gloomy culture and many aren't satisfied with their jobs.
While I may not be in the business of teaching or airlines, one thing I can take away from this is that in order to be a good manager, I need to create a culture that as Graham said makes us feel that we are all "valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission." This means taking time to know my employees, understanding what makes them who they are and accepting them for that. By understanding the individuals in an organization, one can continue to build a culture that embodies their beliefs, ideas, hopes, and dreams so that they can be proud to be apart of the team.
Creating Workplace Cultures, Energy of Inspired Employees
Comments
Post a Comment