There is no doubt that when it comes to a workplace culture, each organisation has its own unique cultural fingerprint. A positive workplace culture fosters organisational success as it increases positive emotions and employee wellbeing. These two things are key to improving people’s relationships with each other and putting the employee’s mindset in a place where they feel that they can be more innovative, creative, and successful.
A positive work culture creates the necessary buffer that businesses need to bounce back from adversity and challenges. It is also clear that happier employees create a more harmonious workplace for everyone which contributes to a strong customer experience. Therefore, a culture that is happy, supportive and caring not only improves employee productivity and wellbeing, but also works hard to generate customer satisfaction and strong business results.
But even though most organisations value the importance of culture, there is not enough work done to develop leaders given they play a vital role in building a positive workplace culture. Furthermore, many employers have sub cultures based on who is leading the team. The following 7 tips will empower leaders build a positive performance culture.
The first place to start with a team culture is with the leader. The leaders set the tone for the team and others will also mirror their behaviours. Team leaders and managers should reflect on:
There is no doubt that positive relationships at work are a key ingredient to strong team cultures. Research undertaken at the University of California has shown that positive social connections at work produce the following desirable results:
Leaders are encouraged to build authentic connections with their teams that are not based purely on workflow. Show an interest in what is important to each person and remember the small stuff.
Many leaders underestimate how they influence an employee’s happiness at work. Leaders have a huge impact on how employees feel and their ability to show empathy when times are tough. When a leader is unkind, dismissive or unempathetic it can greatly impact an employee’s happiness and ability to cope at work. Leaders who are able to demonstrate compassion towards their team members are more likely to foster individual and collective resilience in challenging times.
Everyone knows the golden rule about going the extra mile for the customer, but what about for the employee? Imagine how powerful it could be if all leaders adopted this philosophy for their team members. Employees will remember the leaders that put in the extra effort to help - even when they didn't have to. It encourages employees to want to be better, to try that bit harder, and to apply discretionary effort.
A study by Jonathan Haidt from the New York University’s Stern School of Business demonstrates in his research that when leaders are not just fair but self-sacrificing, their employees are moved and inspired to become more committed and loyal. As a consequence, it was found that there were more likely to go out of their way to be helpful and friendly to other employees.
It is not surprising that employee performance improves when workers can trust their manager and feel like there is a safe space to talk and be real about what is concerning them. It is critically important that employees feel safe in the workplace. Research by Amy Edmondson from Harvard University demonstrates in her work on psychological safety that a culture of safety (where leaders are humble, inclusive, and encourage their team members to ask for help) leads to better learning and performance outcomes.
Some leaders prefer to lead by creating a culture where employees will do what is necessary to avoid negative consequences, however, this has disastrous results. When employees feel safe in the workplace, they take more risks, and are more innovative and productive.
It is important that leaders can recognise that employee burnout plays a key role in fracturing a performance culture. If employees feel overworked and stressed, it is usually an important indicator that the team culture is unhealthy. Organisations need to be aware that a culture that rewards hours and results over the overall performance picture can lead to an environment of unhealthy competition. Furthermore, leaders that believe that their best workers are those that sit in their chair the longest are losing sight about what strong performance actually is.
It is recommended that employers put a focus on output and quality over quantity and ‘hours at work’ as this leads to employees not taking the downtime that they need to perform effectively. Employees should be encouraged to strike a healthy balance between work and home life to optimise performance.
Agile workplaces understand that learning never stops. Globalisation and digitalisation mean that it has never been more important to develop and upskill team members. Development and training doesn’t always mean extra costs as there is usually opportunities for employees to learn within the organisation. This might be through a role secondment, internal mentoring or on-the-job training. Development opportunities help employees to feel valuable and important enough to invest in.
For some workplaces, it may seem like an arduous and unnecessary task to build a positive workplace culture. When employers are prepared to put in the work to reflect on where they are at and where they want to be, they can achieve new levels of organisational effectiveness. Success will include vital aspects of the overall business performance such as customer satisfaction, financial performance, employee engagement and retention, productivity, and sales performance.
It is important to keep in mind that culture is a work in progress that can and does change over time. It is recommended that organisations make culture as important as the business strategy as it has a direct correlation to performance in the workplace.
For assistance with your workplace matters, Members of Ai Group can contact us or call our Workplace Advice Line on 1300 55 66 77 for further information. Ai Group has an extensive performance management section offering members a range of tools, resources and support to optimise and manage performance. Detailed information on the role that leaders play in performance can be found here.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
