What Is The Amorphous Creature Called Organisational Culture?
The first day in any new job can be a daunting prospect. Luckily there is the ritual of the induction process to smooth the way. Once the important information such as the location of toilets and the nearest sandwich shop are sorted out; the induction gets down to business with the company rules, regulations and processes. These will generally cover areas such as IT processes and security as well as starting to learn what the job entails.
Don’t forget to tell them about the organisational culture!
One area which is unfortunately omitted from most induction processes is the culture of the organisation. Although sometimes confused with the aim or ethos of a business, organisational culture is a very different being. The aim of a business is essentially what the business sets out to do, for example make shoes. The ethos of the business is how it will carry out its aims, for example only using organic leather or paying a fair price to its workers. The culture of the business defines how employees work and interact, their modes of behaviour, values and attitudes. Culture has been defined as “the way we do things around here” with the underlying assumption that the “things” are not just simple processes but the deeper personality which shapes business decisions and processes.
The organisational culture of a business can have a profound effect on every aspect of business including:
* Employee loyalty, decision making and productivity
* Customer satisfaction and loyalty
* The perception of the business in the wider community
Whilst a deficient organisational culture can sometimes be temporarily masked by a good product, the long term effects can escalate into major problems for the organisation. For example, in the 1950s British car manufacturing led the way but a decline caused partly by poor employee relations and organisational culture eventually led to the virtual death of the UK car industry.
Can you really change organisational culture?
Changing the culture of an organisation can be akin to changing the course of a super tanker. It is a simple matter to give the order from the bridge but the tanker has covered a mile or more before the change takes effect. This is partly due to the extent to which the organisational culture is embedded throughout the entire organisation in both processes and attitudes and from board room to the most junior member of the team.
The culture of a business will have built up gradually from the first day that the business was conceived. Every subsequent employee, whether manager or not, will have contributed in some small way to the culture that exists today. Redefining the culture will require some adjustment on the part of every employee.
Do you need to change your organisational culture?
The simplest measure of whether an organisational culture change is required is that of a deep seated feeling that “something is wrong”. Most managers and leaders will recognise this nagging worry some time before more obvious signs appear. These can include:
* A decrease in productivity leading to increased costs, wastage and falling profits
* An increase in employee grumbles followed by increased sickness and staff turnover
* A decrease in standards leading to an increase in customer complaints
There is no “one size fits all” solution for organisational culture. Every business is different and every culture will be different. However, there are some common best practices which will result in a successful realignment of the culture with the goals and aspirations of the organisation. These start with the drive to change at the top, developing the vision and expanding it to structure a mission which will encompass people, actions and processes.
The success of an organisational realignment can be measured via:
* Employee Engagement Levels
* Customer client satisfaction
* Productivity of employees
* Profitability/turnover
* Successes/goal vision achievement
Redefining the culture should not only rectify the slippages but set the organisation up to boldly march into the future with streamlined processes, greater understandings and renewed vigour.
For further information regarding organisational culture and its importance, please visit our website at http://www.cultureconsultancy.com
Team Building and Business Golf
When most people think of business golf, they think of taking their best, most important clients to the course. They think of playing a round with the movers and shakers, or of striking it lucky with a prospective client on the course.
However, while business golf is a great way to meet and woo new clients, and maintain relationships with existing ones, it is also so much more. For instance, it can be a great way to build your own team.
Building a Business Is Hard Work
Ask any entrepreneur that you meet, and they will agree. There is nothing easy about building a successful business. You, and your team, are probably focused on your business nearly all the time, you’re probably working long hours, and spending very little time doing things you enjoy.
However, while dedication to your business is fantastic, and a prerequisite for success, taking time off from business is also important.
Spending time on the course with the key members of your team is the perfect way to distress, without losing focus. It allows you to enjoy each other’s company, and to get out doors and relax a little, but also offers you the opportunity to brainstorm, discuss, and think at the same time.
It is the perfect combination of business and pleasure, and it is a great way to take a little bit of the hard work out of building your company without feeling too guilty about it.
Strong Teams Are About Relationships
Every business owner knows that relationships with clients and suppliers are crucial to their success, and they probably spend a lot of time working on them.
However, without a strong team, that is working towards a common goal, and who share the same vision, hopes, dreams and plans, no customer relationships in the world can guarantee your success.
Playing golf with your key team members can help you to touch base, to find out what is happening in their departments in the often chaotic world of the start up company, and to help remind all of you why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Putting the Fun Back Into Business
Another great reason to remember your team when it comes to playing golf is that it helps put the fun back into business.
Often, when you and your partners start out, it is with a burning desire to take on the world, to create something new, and to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. It is about going out on your own, and proving yourself.
A few years down the line, however, you might find yourself mired in paperwork, worried about deals, managing cash flow, and losing sight of your purpose as a team. When that happens, passion and energy wane, and your business suffers.
If business golf can help to keep your team focused on their goals, communicating, and working together, then it might be even more important to spend time on the course with them than with a prospective client.
So next time you are planning a round of business themed golf, remember the people you work with too, and get the team building benefits of the game as well!
Andrew McCombe is the owner of Activate Your Business Golf, a community of entrepreneurs passionate about Business and Golf whose purpose is to support it’s members to Get Paid To Play Golf. To get your FREE Make Money While You Play Golf report visit Activate Your Business Golf
How To Motivate Yourself – And Your Staff
Everyone gets demotivated from time to time – it happens to the best of us, no matter how sunny or positive our usual outlook. After all, we’re only human. It’s all well and good being able to handle your own “blips”, but what if you’re a manager of a team suffering from the same lack of morale or motivation?
Both negativity and positivity are contagious, they can spread through a team like wildfire. Ever noticed that if one person starts complaining and being “down” all the time, one or more of the team will follow? The same goes for the person who can walk into a room, fire a team up and have them raring to go – so here are some ways in which you can make that person you.
1. Break difficult tasks into small chunks
Despite being often told to think of the bigger picture during a project, it can also cause a lack of confidence or make an employee feel daunted if they consider a mammoth task they have in front of them.
Let’s say that you had to save a hundred thousand pounds a year on costs – the first thought is that it’s impossible, too difficult, and will cause other areas of the business to suffer. This would undoubtedly cause demotivation – thinking a task is arduous, difficult or impossible is apt to make anyone feel sour about the job in hand.
However, put a different spin on it and break the task into smaller ones, and it may become more manageable. For example, you could analyse how much recycling the office did, how much was spent on unnecessary things such as luxury plants for the foyer, having people travel standard class instead of first, and so on. By breaking things down – in this case into environmental and travel concerns, it makes it much easier to swallow, and to achieve.
2. Motivate with rewards that don’t hurt the business
When people think of a “reward” for their work, they may think bonuses or pay rises. Sometimes – and especially in a difficult economic climate – most businesses just can’t afford these kinds of rewards for their staff. The key is to change them rather than take them away from your team. If someone’s been working particularly hard, give them a longer lunch break, or have cakes brought in from the local bakery for the team to share. This may seem a small gesture but it can mean so much more to people (not least because of the fact they are getting recognition in front of others) instead of a few extra numbers in the bank account. This in turn motivates the team as they want to be the one to receive such special, personal treatment.
3. The best rewards can be business related
Similar to the last point, if you really want to reward an outstanding employee – and motivate their colleagues – the best rewards are such things as promotions, more responsibility or an extra role. Many people feel fine about their pay packet whilst feeling less good about their job satisfaction. To move on in one’s career can sometimes be a deciding factor in how happy and motivated they are. For example, many of us have heard of people taking a step back to a more junior role so they can advance in a different path that is more pleasurable to them, and they take the smaller salary that comes with it.
4. Avoid trying to motivate by using negativity
This is a classic mistake, possibly a hangover from our school days. Making examples of people in order to motivate (read: scare!) your employees hardly ever works and will eventually cause them to harbour resentment or leave. Being scathing to someone about doing a task wrong will not motivate them to do it right. It may scare or intimidate them into putting the hours in, which on the face of it, may look like a result for you – but motivation has to come from the individual and their feelings towards the task, not from you taking their choice away from them.
These are just some of the ways you can motivate a team – in a nutshell, remember the small details and the bigger ones will very often take care of themselves with a motivated team and leader at the helm.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on motivational skills, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
Dig Deeper For A Productive, Motivated Workforce
Motivating staff is a tricky business because all workers will have different triggers that energise them to complete tasks.
To some extent you’re free to apply general techniques that appear to have a positive impact on the majority of workplaces. However, it’s still likely that you’ll need to get to grips with the different factors that drive colleagues on an individual level. Advantages to motivating your workforce are many, doing so can help to define goals and make them clearer for staff, meaning they could get more satisfaction from their jobs, which in turn is a good morale booster.
Fear or ‘fun’ factor?
Some managers like to promote an authoritarian air in their workplaces by introducing strict regulations, for example. Penalties may be handed out if certain parameters are not met and bonuses withdrawn when employees fail to meet targets. These kinds of techniques tend to arouse fear in staff, motivating them to complete tasks as they avoid the consequences issued by authoritarian managers.
The problem with this technique is that it can potentially lower morale, especially if workers have not yet developed the skills needed through a lack of training. Short term results tend to give way to stressed staff who complete assignments through fear rather than with pride and positivity.
Instead of taking this approach, many offices are realising the benefits of reward-based systems that have realistic goals. Also, team leaders are spending more time on workplace activities that boost communication among staff and centre them on shared goals.
General techniques
There are several techniques that are used by managers who wish to motivate their staff. These activities encourage participation and may also give hints as to what individuals hold as their motivating force. Positive imagery is a good way to remind workers of their goals, and firms can do this by introducing and printing slogans that they identify with.
Training is another important technique to keep workforces up-to-date with common practices and makes them feel like they are progressing as a whole. Likewise, using incentives, such as bonuses and awards also help to recognise achievements and allow workers to reflect positively on the company. In order for all this to be achieved, you need to make sure you have good communication links with your workers, so positive messages can be easily passed on.
As mentioned briefly, team building activities are also used to motivate staff, and may also lead to healthy competition among workers.
Making it personal
Many of these techniques mentioned previously can be applied to both groups and individuals. The first step to getting to know individuals within your company is to talk to them on a one-to-one basis. Ask them what motivates them and issue feedback questionnaires if appropriate.
This way, when it comes to positive imagery you’re able to tailor slogans to the individual concerned. Training needs may also be identified during these meetings and goals set, so the employee is working towards a new role they will find fulfilling. An essential element of these kinds of reward-based motivating techniques is that individual – and common – goals must be achievable.
Staff will begin to lose morale if they cannot consistently reach targets. Consequently, it’s important to make sure colleagues are not taking on too much or opting to go on training programmes they are not yet ready for.
Reflect on your own experiences
Learning how to motivate staff does not only benefit your workforce, but could have positive effects on your own career and development within your firm. You’ll be able to establish rapport with workers and keep in touch with the needs of employees and their morale levels.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on motivation skills, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
Raise The Morale Of Your Employees During These Difficult Times
Whilst working in these tough economic times, it is easy to become deflated and discouraged. Your employees function with the looming fear that they may be the next to be given the old heave-ho.
It is easy to see why some employees fear that they are not working efficiently enough and may be surplus to requirements. This anxiety then escalates to further problems as thoughts of mortgage payments going into arrears surface and a downward spiral of worries start to take a hold.
Working under such pressure is bound to have a detrimental effect in an office environment as everyone is living on tenterhooks. Whilst it is vital to maintain professionalism at all times, psychologically it is hard to paint on a smile when you wonder if every day is leading to the last.
Morale is bound to be at an all time low for many employees which in turn, will put a strain on companies to run efficiently. Bosses are equally under a tremendous amount of stress as they face the dreaded task of having to fire employees who are actually very good but are just unaffordable. It is imperative that management is aware of the ‘buzz’ surrounding the office so as they can bring in measures to keep morale high. For example, staff may be up in arms at the sacking of Bill Jones? Or, are they worried about new changes which are going to take place within the company?
The fastest way to lift your spirits is to lift the spirit of your co-workers. There has never been a more important time to get to know your employees than now. Show them your caring side and really take time to get to know them. Find out about their hobbies, families, anything to show that you represent a company that cares about its employees. Nothing can reassure someone more than a mutually trustworthy relationship between management and staff. In turn, this rewards you a tremendous amount of respect and will pave the way for employees to address their concerns and worries so as you can put their minds at rest.
If employees have concerns about cutbacks or changes being made, allow them to express themselves. Take their grievances on board and make it clear that their opinions really matter.
Your staff will really appreciate being told of imminent changes. If they fear something is brewing behind their backs they will jump to all sorts of wild assumptions and productivity will decrease as they work in a world of uncertainty.
Communication is the most important tool that you can have at this moment in time, so make it your business to ensure that your colleagues are informed of any changes which will likely take place. At the same time, don’t make the mistake of painting a rosy picture if everything in the garden isn’t so rosy.
Being honest with people is something they will really appreciate. By making them aware of the company’s current situation, they will feel part of a team and in many cases, will often come up with ideas and suggestions to prevent potential situations arising. Staff are equally keen to keep their jobs. As a result, many are passionate enough to fight tooth and nail to keep the company afloat.
Ask employees their views and opinions for possible solutions and ask which ones they think will work and which ones could do with some extra thought. Assure them that they will not be penalized for being honest. This way you can really form a consensus around their opinions and use this feedback to create harmony and camaraderie.
Don’t just share the worries, share the successes too, even if they are only small ones. When large worries cloud a company, it is easy to overlook the small positive changes which take place.
Not only should you ensure that you share a close working relationship with your employees, you should also ensure that they work happily as a team. Create some tasks which will involve plenty of interaction. This helps to build bridges between people and creates a stronger, more united workforce where people get to know one another as individuals and not just as job titles. A team that is strong and motivated will stay that way because no-one will want to let the side down.
A celebratory cup of coffee or cake will be the perfect thank you gesture to compliment individuals who have achieved positive results. This raises morale and keeps motivation at its highest. It will also encourage other employees to perform their best.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on emotional intelligence training, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net