How to make change stick
Colin D Ellis explains how to make change stick. Organisations talk a lot about change and transformation, but in general most aren’t very good at doing it. A recent SAP survey found that of the 84 per cent of organisations that started transformation initiatives in the past year, only 3 per cent had actually successfully completed one.
Organisations talk a lot about change and transformation, but in general most aren’t very good at doing it. A recent SAP survey found that of the 84 per cent of organisations that started transformation initiatives in the past year, only 3 per cent had actually successfully completed one.
Thoughts from Colin D Ellis
One reason for this is that while senior managers get very excited about smarter, faster ways of doing things when they’re pulling their business plans together, they forget that to achieve them they have to stop doing some things and redefine the way they get others done.
Cultural evolution is frequently cited as the biggest enabler of successful change, yet very few organisations ever take it on, opting instead for quick-fix training solutions, restructures, operating model changes or (as is currently en vogue) promises of hybrid working.
It’s not that any of these things are wrong, it’s just that in order to deliver transformation and make change stick you need to establish a new foundation upon which to build them. Those foundations contain the following:
A sound business case for change. This will answer the ‘why this and why now?’ questions from staff and stakeholders alike as it’s not good enough to simply say ‘we need to transform’, there has to be a sound and logical rationale for doing so
A redefined culture. This is the activity that almost all teams or organisations forget to do and yet it’s the most important. Without redefining the vision, behaviours and collaboration principles expected of each other you have nothing to transform to
Public accountability. There needs to be a senior executive within the business who is prepared to throw their reputation, energy, money and effort behind the activity to ensure it delivers what was promised in the case for change. This person will also encourage all the other executives do their bit to ensure that the change happens.
Clear, unambiguous communication. This should focus not only on the activities required to complete the initiative, but also on the personal change required to achieve success. I don’t mean an email or poster, in Comic Sans font, pinned up on a noticeboard, but regular effort from those accountable for the transformation.
With an appropriate level of justification, definition, accountability and communication, culture change or transformation isn’t as hard as some would have you believe. If you’re not prepared to do these things, then your staff would like you to stop talking about transformation as if you mean it. However, if you are, then you can guarantee then they’ll be up for it too and that will make everything stick.
Colin D Ellis is an award-winning speaker, facilitator and best-selling author of Culture Fix: How to Create a Great Place to Work. You can find out more about him and the work that he does at www.colindellis.com
Key considerations for building connection across the organisation post Covid-19
Phoebe Reid writes about the key considerations for building connection across the organisation post Covid-19. Companies are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory as their employees return to the office post Covid 19 and are learning how to work together again. Building connectedness is an important part of working together successfully and links closely to employee engagement and ultimately meeting business goals.
Companies are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory as their employees return to the office post Covid 19 and are learning how to work together again. Building connectedness is an important part of working together successfully and links closely to employee engagement and ultimately meeting business goals.
For this to happen, leaders need to lead! Behaviour needs to start at the top and it will flow, employees want and need to have purpose and great leadership will support this happening. Spend the time with your team, have regular check ins, discuss and review/set their KPIs and goals, chat about how they are going, and generally be there for them.
Connection, growth and belonging are all key to a company’s success. Humans naturally enjoy each other’s company and being able to work collaboratively, so it’s often the corridor or kitchen conversation where you really get to understand what is going on. It is about finding the right balance between flexible work from home and time together in the office.
Some initiatives and areas that impact connection building in the workplace are;
Connectedness Initiatives
Having fun at work has been missed by many, it might be the Friday night drinks, bring your pet to work day or the monthly birthday celebrations, people have missed the opportunity to connect. Make sure this is a priority, put together a calendar of fun events, ask your team members what activities would make them feel more connected to each other and actively create an informal environment to reconnect.
Team lunches with employees from different departments are a way to get employees interacting with people from across the business and further promotes connection. Employees will benefit from having team activities like a volunteer day where the team can go and help at a charity. When implemented properly, these activities can be excellent for cultivating a sense of unity and belonging.
Promote the benefits of the office like being able to collaborate in person, informally bounce ideas off each other, the coffee machine and of course Friday night drinks! Set up wellbeing information sessions, often your employee assistance program provider can run these. Organise fitness in the park or at a nearby gym for your employees. For some, the office offers a sense of calm and control over their day and fewer distractions than at home, these people will be key to connecting those that are feeling more anxious about being back in the office. Schedule your team meetings on a day that everyone is in to promote face to face time.
To help employees focus and reengage with your strategy, run cross functional sessions on your strategy and 5-year plan, discuss what’s working well and get feedback on what you can be doing better. Sessions on behaviours and values could also be considered. Consider joint departments leading regular town halls to; share what is going on, interview new starters, share good news like record sales or new business and also acknowledge specific achievements of team members.
Having the right Flexible Work Policy supports connectedness. In developing your policy seek feedback to see what employees preferences are around flexible work. As with any successful change, seeking feedback and employee input will result in a more effective outcome. Employees are working from home in a variety of combinations from 1-5 days per week. Finding overlap days where the majority of the team are in the office is important. Having team meetings on these days and organising fun activities described above to connect people will help with this. Ensure that you have the flexibility to review your policy as things change or if the current arrangement isn’t working.
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement represents the levels of enthusiasm and connection employees have with their organisation. It’s a measure of how motivated people are to put in the extra effort for their employer and is often a sign of how committed they are to staying.
Now would be a good time to run an employee engagement survey. Tailor your questions to get constructive feedback for your business and ask questions about what initiatives will help them in feeling more engaged and connected to your business and their colleagues. Then use this feedback to run cross functional focus groups, then develop an action plan and actually implement it. Too often employees take the time to fill in the survey and provide feedback and nothing is done, this can be demotivating.
This article has described just some of the ways that you can build connectedness across your business post Covid 19. Please get in touch if Whiteark can help you with developing your business and people plans.
Quick tips for engaging your workforce
Jo Hands unpacks some quick tips for engaging your workforce. Engaging your workforce isn’t easy. Every generation is engaged differently. So one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to increasing engaging with your workforce doesn’t work. You need to think outside the box and ensure your approach is tailored.
Engaging your workforce isn’t easy. Every generation is engaged differently. So, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to increasing engaging with your workforce doesn’t work. You need to think outside the box and ensure your approach is tailored.
Statistics show (and it make sense), if you have an engaged workforce they are more productive, more gets done and the financial results of the organisation are improved. So all in all it’s a great result. Every company should want this outcome but how do they get it and what do companies do wrong?
Most companies do their annual employee engagement survey and measure what they need to improve. They then come up with a number of initiatives to drive improvement – they focus on them for about 2-3 months and then they fall off.
These activities are normally determined by management on what they think will fix the engagement. Without engagement from the right level of people these activities don’t do the trick.
What I have seen work really well is to have a People Committee – this committee is made up of representatives from each team and they are responsible for regular / informal pulse checks and work on key initiatives that can put in place to increase engagement. This works really well and I have done this in 4 separate companies.
The team determine what they want to do and all you need to do as leader is give them the support to put the initiatives in place. They will come up with initiatives you will never have thought of, they will drive them and execute them and feel part of the improvement that is being put in place/made.
This will drive engagement.
Have fire side chats with the team to talk through what drives them, what needs to change and where they need support. When you start a new role or on an annual basis make sure you speak to every single person in your team and really understand how people feel and how you can make a difference.
Engagement is more important than ever. What are you tips to engage with your employees? Please feel free to share in the comments or join the conversation on LinkedIn.
Looking to develop your team? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Jo Hands, Co-Founder Whiteark
Some key people capabilities for companies to consider
Phoebe Reid writes about the key people capabilities companies need to consider. Capabilities describe the skills, knowledge or attitudes needed for a given task and are used to assess an employee's effectiveness. They can be looked at as human or people capabilities and technical capabilities. In this article we are focusing on some of the key people capabilities that companies should consider as essential for their organisation.
Capabilities describe the skills, knowledge or attitudes needed for a given task and are used to assess an employee's effectiveness. They can be looked at as human or people capabilities and technical capabilities. In this article we are focusing on some of the key people capabilities that companies should consider as essential for their organisation. These are particularly helpful in informing and supporting your decisions in attracting, developing, rewarding, and retaining employees.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s thoughts and feelings. It is about taking the time to listen to team members and fellow employees and consider their thoughts and concerns, not just your own. If you have empathy you are able to better communicate with others in a way that makes sense to the them. It also gives you a better understanding of how people are communicating and interacting with you.
According to Forbes, empathy is “increasingly recognized as a pivotal leadership tool in today’s global market, benefiting leadership effectiveness”. Where empathy can be very powerful at work, especially with leaders, is when empathy is demonstrated, it shows that they care about their team a human and individual and aren’t just following the policies and rules without considering the person. If you treat others as you expect to be treated and show empathy, this will almost always result in a better outcome for the individual and the organisation.
Communication
Communication is a fundamental capability that you need to have to be effective and ultimately successful. Communication skills are so important, they allow you to understand and be understood by others through; clearly explaining ideas to others, actively listening, speaking to audiences, and giving and receiving feedback.
Great communication is essential to having a productive, successful, and efficient company.
Effective communication plays a big part in helping to have a strong, efficient, and happy team, has a very positive impact on employee engagement, improves customer satisfaction and increases productivity.
Resilience
Headsup describes resilience as “the ability to cope with the ups and downs and bounce back from challenges”. At work there will always be tricky situations from workload pressures, difficult working relationships, and the challenge of juggling personal situations at the same time. If you have greater resilience this will go a long way in helping you manage stress. As it is well known, high levels of stress can often lead to mental health conditions.
Resilient teams are able to bounce back from setbacks and failures and embrace new challenges with energy. Having empathy and caring relationships within your team will assist your team in being resilient too.
If you are resilient you are usually able to demonstrate strength in being adaptable as well. During these Covid times, this has been more important than ever as many people have had to move from working very quickly in the office to home, dealing with so much uncertainty and change personally and professionally.
Flexibility
These days when we talk about flexibility we automatically think of working from home and having a flexible work arrangement. As a people capability, MindTools defines flexibility well as, “the capacity to adjust to short-term change quickly and calmly, so that you can deal with unexpected problems or tasks effectively”. Being open to change and different ways of doing things is critical to being successful as a ‘flexible’ employee. Employees and leaders who can demonstrate flexibility in a range of situations and can communicate well will be more efficient and effective.
An effective leader who has strength in this capability, listens to others, communicates well, adapts their style for the situation and audience, has strong relationships and easily change plans as the situations change.
Many of these capabilities link together, if you have strength in one you will often have strength in others. As an employer, if your people plan considers key people capabilities in all stages of the employee life cycle, this will have a positive impact on retention, productivity, engagement and ultimately your company’s success.
Looking to develop your team? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
When should you recruit versus developing existing staff?
Phoebe Reid writes about recruiting versus developing your existing staff. It is fabulous when everything seems to be humming along with your team, they are working well together, have a good understanding of their role and business and are motivated and engaged. But then someone resigns!
It is fabulous when everything seems to be humming along with your team, they are working well together, have a good understanding of their role and business and are motivated and engaged. But then someone resigns! This can throw a real spanner in the works if you haven’t planned for it. By having meaningful succession and talent planning and robust career and development planning processes you are able to better plan and be prepared for these situations. This will help inform your decision to recruit externally or promote someone internally that you have already identified with the right skills and experience.
This article will look at the two options to filling vacancies when someone leaves your business, or a new role is created: recruiting externally or hiring from within.
Recruiting externally
There are a number of reasons to recruit externally, there are times when you need some new talent to bring new skills and different organisational experiences, so it is important to find the right balance between hiring new employees and promoting current employees. You will usually assess each role as the vacancy arises. Existing business challenges can sometimes be solved with new ideas, so recruiting a fresh set of eyes who can look at the role and business in a different way may be the right solution.
A clear and known recruitment policy will assist you in hiring right. By this we mean hiring not only the right person with the necessary skills and experience, but also the candidate with the right cultural fit – this is just as important. The selection and interview processes play a big part in hiring successfully and ultimately retaining these employees.
if there is a vacancy for a highly specialised role, you should consider the effort and resources needed to train an existing employee versus hiring a new one who already has the essential skills. It may be easier and more cost effective if you run a recruitment process and find an external resource.
Hiring from within
Many leaders think of recruitment as the only option when someone resigns, if you are a smaller business this may sometimes be the case, however in medium or larger businesses there will often be an internal option. A recruitment policy that consider hiring internally before looking externally is recommended.
Employees who are given training, development and have a career path defined for them, are more likely to stay in your business. The cost to hire is huge, according to Employment Hero, the average cost of a new hire can be anywhere between $3,500 to $5000, with executive roles being much greater than this. Then you have the expense and time it takes for the new employee to be trained and learn their role and business. So, this is a significant reason to focus on developing your staff where possible.
Look at the way you support and engage your existing employees. Support them with internal training and upskilling opportunities, which will have a positive impact on the culture and overall employee engagement. When employees feel challenged, supported and that their company invested in their growth and career, engagement is higher, and turnover reduces.
As part of your succession planning process you should consider which roles are the hardest to hire and invest in developing employees with these skills so that you have options. Ideally for some roles you will have a successor who is ready or possibly ready in the near future already identified in your business. This is also the case where there is a skill shortage and you know that skills are really hard to recruit in the market.
Looking to unite your team? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
The Importance of Connection
Jo Hands, Whiteark’s Co-founder & Director, writes about the art and inherent need for connection. Connection is defined as a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else - and it’s important, probably more than you’ll know. But did it have to take a global pandemic, border closures and state lockdowns for us to realise just how important connection really is?
Connection is defined as a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else. Connection is important. Did it have to take a global pandemic, border closures and state lockdowns for us to realise just how important connection really is?
If you’re feeling lonely, know that you’re not the only one. You don’t have to live in isolation. We live in a world with over seven billion people, and we all need connection.
The importance of human connection
What do you do from day to day to care for yourself? Most would say that to be healthy, you need nutritious food and exercise.
But what about your social connections?
Research shows us that loneliness is on the rise, and that a lack of human connection can be more harmful to your health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.
In today’s age, we live busy lives, trying to strike a balance between work, school, hobbies, self-care and more. Often, our social connections fall by the wayside. But connecting with others is more important than you might think. Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems. By neglecting our need to connect, we put our health at risk.
The reality is that we’re living in a time of true disconnection. While technology seems to connect us more than ever, the screens around us disconnect us from nature, from ourselves, and from others. Wi-Fi alone isn’t enough to fulfill our social needs – we need face-to-face interaction to thrive. Technology should be enhancing our connection to others, not replacing it.
Our inherent need for human connection doesn’t mean that every introvert must become a social butterfly.
Having human connection can look different for each person. If you’re not sure where to start in finding meaningful connection, that’s okay.
Here are some ideas to help you out:
• Join a new club, or try out a group activity
• Reach out to an old friend you’ve lost touch with
• Volunteer for a cause you care about
• Eat lunch in a communal space
• Introduce yourself to your neighbours
• Ask someone for help when you need it
• Do a random act of kindness
Human beings are inherently social creatures. As far back as we can trace, humans have travelled, hunted, and thrived in social groups and for good reason. Humans who were separated from their tribe often suffered severe consequences.
Social groups provide us with an important part of our identity, and more than that, they teach us a set of skills that help us to live our lives. Feeling socially connected, especially in an increasingly isolated world, is more important than ever. The benefits of social connectedness shouldn’t be overlooked.
Social connections have four science / research backed benefits;
1. Improve your quality of life:
If you’ve ever moved away from your social “home base” then you have a good idea of just how much social connections shape your everyday life and well-being. One study showed that social connection is a greater determinant to health than obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure. And social connection doesn’t necessarily mean physically being present with people in a literal sense, but someone’s subjective experience of feeling understood and connected to others. One scale that experts use to determine a person’s subjective level of loneliness is the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
2. Boost your mental health:
Friendships offer a number of mental health benefits, such as increased feelings of belonging, purpose, increased levels of happiness, reduced levels of stress, improved self-worth and confidence. A study conducted at a free health clinic in Buffalo, New York found that respondents with insufficient perceived social support were the most likely to suffer from mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.
3. Help you live longer:
Research has shown that social connections not only impact your mental health, but your physical health as well. A review of 148 studies (309K participants) indicated that the individuals with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival. This remained true across a number of factors, including age, sex, initial health status, and cause of death.
4. Decrease your risk of suicide:
There are a number of factors that put people at higher or lower risk for suicide. One of these factors is connectedness, which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines as “The degree to which a person or group is socially close, interrelated or shares resources with other persons or groups.” Relationships can play a crucial role in protecting a person against suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
If you’re not sure how to begin forming social connections start by looking inward. What are your interests or hobbies? What kind of personalities are you naturally comfortable around?
Devote time to becoming active in your community, volunteering, or joining a club or social organisation and if you meet a potential friend, create an opportunity to spend time together.
Remember that social connections that impact your overall health and well-being may begin with lattes or a shared meal, but they require time and effort. Forming strong, healthy relationships with others means opening up, actively listening, and being open to sharing what you’re going through. These relationships can change the course of your life.
““Never underestimate the empowering effect of human connection.
All you need is that one person, who understands you completely, believes in you and makes you feel loved for what you are, to enable you - to unfold the miraculous YOU.””
Development planning for your team to set them up for success in 2021
Phoebe Reid writes about how the global Covid pandemic has brought uncertainty to both businesses and life. To be set up for success in 2021, it is important that employees can shift their mindset from just surviving each week to truly thriving.
The past year has been like no other for organisations with the global Covid pandemic and the uncertainty that it has brought to businesses and life. To be set up for success in 2021, it is important that employees can shift their mindset from just surviving each week to truly thriving.
To achieve this, key people and culture processes need to keep happening! One of the key people processes that may have been overlooked in 2020 is development and career planning discussions.
With the start of a new year it is a good time to re-visit development plans with your team. This should be an ongoing conversation, not a document that you dust off once a year to tick the box. Employees really need to own their development plan with their managers coaching, input and support. You want your employees to know what career progression opportunities are available, so documenting and regularly discussing this will help facilitate their career progression. Employee development plans help address future business needs and also succession planning.
Why have development plans?
Most people are motivated by self-development. If self-development is aligned to the company’s goals, this helps to build employee motivation and engagement for your business. If you have an effective development planning process both employers and employees will benefit.
For employers, spending the time and effort on employee development throughout the year can have a financial impact to your business, as an effective process can save you time and money on recruiting, inducting and training. It also gives you valuable data to feed into your talent and successful planning processes. Meaningful and realistic development and career plans will help to retain your top talent as they have a clear understanding of their career path and opportunities.
According to a Deloitte survey, more than two-thirds of millennials believe that it is management’s job to provide them with accelerated development opportunities in order for them to stay. This highlights that this is an essential step to the manager employee partnership.
Employees want to learn and grow within an organisation and an effective development plan supports this. Focusing on career development is one way to positively impact employee engagement levels. They will feel more engaged if they believe that their employer is focused and committed to their growth.
One of the main reasons employees resign from their role is because of the lack of career progression. Defining career paths and having two-way realistic development and career planning conversations are ways to reduce this reason for leaving.
Steps to an effective development plan
Many employees have a career and development plan, but it isn’t meaningful or realistic. Achieving a successful employee career and development plan can be broken down into a few steps;
Consider and reflect on the business priorities and individual development areas
Discuss and define SMART development goals
Managers realistically assess their employees’ potential for career progression and that the plan reflects this
Follow-up and revisit this plan throughout the year, remain flexible and priorities and needs can change
Looking to unite your team? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
What does good leadership mean to you?
There are many resources you can draw on to understand what makes a good leader but you will find there are many varied opinions. In my experience, I have learnt the most from the poor leaders I have worked for as they have really emphasised what not to do if you want to be a good leader. Below is a list of what to avoid if you want to make a good leader...
There are many resources you can draw on to understand what makes a good leader but you will find there are many varied opinions. In my experience, I have learnt the most from the poor leaders I have worked for as they have really emphasised what not to do if you want to be a good leader.
Below is a list of what to avoid if you want to make a good leader:
A leader who is self serving
A leader who doesn't listen
A leader who wants yes people that will not challenge their ideas
A leader who doesn't care about your career development
A leader that doesn't have your back
A leader that changes their mind
A leader who is more interested in being political than driving an outcome
A leader that doesn't communicate
A leader that doesn't practice what they preach
A leader that thinks they are the smartest person in the room
A leader that is more interested in being popular than making good commercial decisions for the business
A leader that is disconnected from the customer and consumer
Being a leader is hard, lonely and requires you to make difficult decisions for the good of the company, not individuals or divisions but the collective good. You don't always get it right, but you are focused on what matters most (clear priorities) and set the organisation up for success.
Being led by a good leader is life changing as you feel supported and you do your best work. The power of a team that is being led by an amazing leader that empowers, encourages and challenges is beyond belief.
As a leader you have a very important job - to coach, mentor, guide and set a vision for your employees - to get the best out of everyone. The power of getting people to run in the right direction, is unbelievable.
Everyone has worked for a bad leader and I hope you've had the opportunity to work for a good leader, regardless, make sure you proactively shape the leader you want to be knowing that your leadership will have a lasting impact on the company and your employees. Make sure it's a good legacy, one you will be proud of.
The Top Three
If you want to be an amazing leader there are three key things to consider:
Make decisions for the good of the business - hard decisions that will ensure the business achieves the outcomes
Treat people with respect and kindness and take care of people - don't underestimate kindness
Always listen - understand challenges and people ideas
Determine what kind of leader you want to be and be proactive in creating this. Start by having a think about what good leadership means to you? Join the conversation online by Searching for Whiteark on LinkedIn. Whiteark chat with a chief every week to learn from leaders in their field so if you want to learn from experienced leaders tune into The Chiefs podcast series.
“Wherever you are, be all there.”
At Whiteark we have hands on practical experience to help CFOs navigate and set their company up for success, whatever is the challenge. Please reach out for a no obligation conversation.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
How to build the right culture in your company?
Most people assume building the right culture within a company is simple, but the reality is, it’s quite difficult and very few do this well. Being a start-up or smaller company makes it easier to manage, influence and build the desired culture but as companies grow and evolve it is important that you hold the right culture, and ensure it is driven from the top down.
Most people assume building the right culture within a company is simple, but the reality is, it’s quite difficult and very few do this well.
Being a start-up or smaller company makes it easier to manage, influence and build the desired culture but as companies grow and evolve it is important that you hold the right culture, and ensure it is driven from the top down.
Let's explore factors that drive culture in organisations:
Recruitment.
Companies recruit based on whether the candidate is the right fit for the company’s culture.
Performance.
Are employees rewarded for practicing the right behaviours, that align with the culture of the organisation.
Values.
Most companies have values that are core to their operations. These are usually displayed on their website, the walls in their office and screensavers to remind their community of what their foundations are built around. Many companies have values but very few actually live them; this needs to be driven from the top. Do your executives live/display the company’s values?
Leadership.
The leadership in the organisation sets the tone, and ultimately that culture of an organisation.
We all want to work for a company with the right culture. While there are some things we can control – culture is the responsibility of the leadership team to drive.
“If you change your mindset, you have the ability to change your whole world.”
4 key things to consider when influencing culture:
Leadership team - right people, right behaviours and help build out the culture in organisation.
Reward performance/behaviour aligned with culture and values.
Continuously remind/train employees on what is expected of them from the time they join
Ensure there is an outcome if employees are not aligned to expectations
As a leader in a company you must set the right culture and foster it. A positive culture is the biggest driver of productivity in any organization and people spend a lot of time working, so it is important to create an enjoyable workplace environment.
You can have the best business strategy in the world but if your culture is rotten you won't be successful in the long-term.
“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Looking to create a lasting culture and rally the team in your organisation? Let us help.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes. We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
What are the key considerations for successfully transitioning your staff back to the office?
Phoebe Reid writes about us moving towards the new working landscape. As we start to move towards Covid normal, businesses are starting to plan for their employees to return to the office. Here are some things to consider and action from a people perspective.
As we start to move towards Covid normal, businesses are starting to plan for their employees to return to the office. Here are some things to consider and action from a people perspective.
Flexibility
A company that embraces flexibility around work location is here to stay. If they haven’t already, every organisation should start working on a plan that details what this looks like for their business.
Ideally the plan should be developed with HR, managers and employees. We suggest that it considers areas such as technology set up and support at home, learning and development opportunities, engaging the team in multiple locations, the risk management impacts on the business and having a robust performance review process to support employee performance.
Staggered start times, a roster for when employees are in the office with workforce bubbles, and working from home days, are all considerations. In most workplaces a hybrid model will need to be agreed. Businesses need to be also able to flex back to working from home as required until we have a vaccine, so flexibility really is key.
Health, Safety and Policies
The health and safety of employees is a critical consideration. It is important that you consult www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au or your equivalent state site to create your Covid Safe Plan.
Some items to consider;
Do you have the right policies?
Do you have a policy and process if an employee be required to self-isolate?
How will you keep confidentiality and privacy in dealing with employees who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19?
Do you have a policy for employees that have travelled to another country and need to quarantine?
Does your working from home policy needs updating?
Some other thing that you need to plan for are; your office layout, signs for meeting rooms, making sanitiser and masks available, cleaning schedules, a register of who is in the office.
Communication
Communication is critical to the success to any change, but especially relating to people.
Start planning;
How you communicate key messages about social distancing, personal hygiene and associated policies
Using www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au posters and hand outs to communicate the key message
Where possible have meetings by phone or online instead of face to face
Your mental health plan to be proactive in supporting employees who are struggling
Employee wellbeing
For many people, especially those with an existing mental health issue, returning to the workplace can bring up a range of feelings including fear and anxiety. If you have one, promote your Employee Asisstance Program (EAP) to help support your team’s wellbeing. These organisations will also have support materials that you can share with the team. If you don’t have one, consider partnering with a provider.
Beyond Blue have some great tips to help manage mental health as employees transition back into the physical workplace. They are;
Prioritise self-care by maintaining positive habits
Manage your information intake
Understand what constitutes a mentally healthy workplace
Celebrate the opportunity to reconnect
Send out a short pulse survey to employees to get a feel for how people are feeling about returning and what would make the transition as smooth and positive as possible. As always employee feedback is key to the success of any change. Book in one on ones, check in to see how people are feeling and plan some fun Covid safe team activities.
Focus on recognition
According to the Achievers Workforce Institute, 2020 Culture Report, recognition is the number one request from employees in the postCOVID world.
When employees were asked “how organisations could better support them through the COVID-19 pandemic”, one-third said they wanted more recognition.
To be effective it is important that recognition is; timely, specific and ideally values based. If recognition aligns to your company values, you are constantly reinforcing the values and the behaviours that ultimately under pin your culture.
Looking for a harmonious transition? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
How to proactively manage the mental health of your employees
Phoebe Reid writes on the effect of Covid19 on mental health and wellbeing. According to The Australian newspaper, over 1 million Australians have sought mental health treatment during Covid 19. In Victoria this is a real worry with a 30% rise in mental health cases…
According to The Australian newspaper, over 1 million Australians have sought mental health treatment during Covid 19. In Victoria this is a real worry with a 30% rise in mental health cases presenting over the 4-week period from mid-September.
Mental health is a concern for businesses in normal times, but in these unpreceded times this data demonstrates the potential crisis that our society is facing.
Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au shares that around one in five Australian employees are working with a mental health condition. Mental health conditions are common and don’t discriminate, the most resilient person can be affected by work stress, as well as other life challenges.
They also state that the many benefits of a mentally healthy workplace include; improving productivity, increased employee engagement, lower turnover, meeting ethical and legal obligations and employee connectedness is greater.
As a manager or leader, you can help support your team in managing their mental health. Here are some tips to doing this.
Listen and be flexible
Listen to your team and be as flexible as you can, understand their personal situation and be as adaptable as possible to help support their work-life balance and mental health. Working from home for many people has created new challenges and extra stress, so offering flexibility, having realistic expectations and understanding their personal situation will help you support your team members with their individual needs. Show your true self, sharing a personal story with your team can be very powerful, revealing that you can also be vulnerable allows others to connect with you more and see you a person, not just their manager.
Communicate regularly and share what is going on
Regularly check in with your team and ask them how they really are going is important. Truly listen and understand what their needs are. Seek to find out if they need any extra support, again listen and keep the communication lines open. Each person will be different and how they are feeling will change, so keep asking and adapt your style to suit the individual. Where possible share as much as you can with your team about what is going on in the business and be clear and realistic in your expectations of them.
Workplace connectedness
Research is showing that connectedness is at its greatest at the moment within many teams. Which is fabulous, we all need human connection for our overall wellbeing. Teammates play an important role in supporting each other as well as managers. If colleagues feel comfortable to share and check in with each other this can help to make them feel more valued and connected to their workplace. This usually happens organically but if it doesn’t promote this in your teams. Team activities and working on shared projects or goals can help bring these work connections together. Having fun also helps! Chat to your team about what activities make work fun.
Wellbeing initiatives and mental health support
Encourage your team to take up any wellbeing initiatives that your company offers. Some employees might be interested in knowing about personal and professional development opportunities to keep them motivated. This doesn’t have to be costly, there are lots of free webinars available at the moment. Where possible provide access to counselling services and mental health and wellbeing support, is a key component to supporting the mental wellbeing of employees. If you have an Employee assistance program, they usually in addition to counselling have access for employees to mental health and wellbeing education sessions, that is just as important as educating leaders and managers.
Provide ongoing training for leaders on mental health and wellbeing. Not for profit organisations like Beyond Blue and Black Dog Institute have many valuable resources that everyone can access.
Take a break
Currently in Melbourne we are unable to travel very far, so people haven’t been taking annual leaving and having a break. Encourage your team to take a long weekend or some time off. This is really important for mental health and recharging their social and emotional wellbeing. People are feeling burnt out which can often trigger mental health concerns. Lead by example and take a break yourself, a refreshed manager is much more effective for their team!
Looking to unite your team? Reach out.
Whiteark is not your average consulting firm, we have first-hand experience in delivering transformation programs for private equity and other organisations with a focus on people just as much as financial outcomes.
We understand that execution is the hardest part, and so we roll our sleeves up and work with you to ensure we can deliver the required outcomes for the business. Our co-founders have a combined experience of over 50 years’ working as Executives in organisations delivering outcomes for shareholders. Reach out for a no obligation conversation on how we can help you. Contact us on whiteark@whiteark.com.au
Article by Phoebe Reid
People Working from Home
Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, many corporate employees felt that working from home was a treat, but how are people feeling now that they have no choice but to work from home? Are you feeling connected enough to your superiors and team members?
Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, many corporate employees felt that working from home was a treat, but how are people feeling now that they have no choice but to work from home?
Are you feeling connected enough to your superiors and team members? Are you feeling more or less productive? Are your stress levels heightened as you try to balance your work and home life at the same time, in the same space?
Before COVID-19 was detected in Australia a third of the country’s population was regularly working from home but in May 2020, during the peak of Australia’s first wave of coronavirus, almost half of the population was primarily working from home and this remains in place as everyone who CAN work from home MUST work from home.
Results from a OnePoll survey that queried 1,000 office workers working from home revealed:
80%
of respondents believe working from home will be more common post the recovery period of COVID-19.
50%
Almost 50% are working more productively during the time they would usually spend commuting to and from work.
32%
are more focused because they are less distracted by colleagues.
70%
believe they have been more productive working from home than they otherwise would have been in an office environment.
36%
feel less stressed.
35%
said they prefer traditional job roles involving working from the office five days per week.
COVID-19 is a catalyst to redesigning the future of work, and create opportunities for organisations and leaders to look at things differently.
The working from home trend could prove to be much more enduring than the pandemic, permanently changing Australia’s working culture, as working from home is likely to become a core part of the new normal.
There’s no blueprint for what we’re currently enduring and business leaders around the globe are adapting strategies to keep up. In addition to enhancing digital skills and improving infrastructure, it is vital that leaders focus on empathy as transformation and disruptions become the new norm.
Leaders need to proactively equip their teams with not just physical resources, but skills, mindsets, behaviours and values, that are vital in establishing strong and supportive foundations for remote working. Teams need to be more adaptive and stay constantly connected. Control has to some extent given way to trust, and people are learning how to do work disparately and with far less oversight. Be patient, be understanding and offer guidance and support where possible.
Please keep safe and stay connected, it is important to be mindful of everyone’s situation during these times.
Staying on Track & Leading Through Covid-19
On the surface working from home sounds pretty good. Not so much when it’s all day, every day. Leading your team through COVID is a real challenge and requires the leader to demonstrate genuine compassion and ability to communicate.
On the surface working from home sounds pretty good. Not so much when it’s all day, every day.
Leading your team through COVID is a real challenge and requires the leader to demonstrate genuine compassion and ability to communicate.
Here are some simple tips from the Whiteark team that might help…..
How to turn Ground Hog Day into a normal(ish) day
On the surface working from home sounds pretty good. Not so much when it’s all day, every day. There’s no water cooler relief, no Friday lunches, no direct contact. This can take its toll. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways alleviate WFH fatigue. Here are my top picks. Not surprisingly – they’re all centred on communication.
Keep your team on track
Set priorities and expectations of roles and keep your team accountable. A robust performance appraisal process with measurable KPI’s will help – bear in mind these may need to be adjusted. Accountability keeps the momentum going and ensures your team feels purpose and doesn’t drift off into a WFH abyss.
Make yourself available
Frequent one-on-ones are extremely important. This helps your team feel valued and ensures they know that you know how hard they are working. It gives them a chance to gain your confidence and have a meaningful conversation that can’t be achieved via Slack, email or in a group meeting. Connections like this are so important when we’re operating in a vacuum.
Think carefully about team catch-ups
It’s a fine line balancing the need for open communication vs too much of it. What used to be an informal convo within your team’s pod, is now usually a formalised online catch up. This can cause meeting fatigue and get in the way of productivity. Try to think strategically about meetings. Could one meeting be a 15 minute extension of another? Could your weekly 1.5 hour WIP change to fortnightly with 15 minute morning stand-ups as a substitute?
What does your team need to know?
Right now, people are super sensitive about their job security, so it is important to create a sense of inclusiveness and transparency. As a business owner or executive manager you’re privy to regular business updates. It’s important any nonsensitive business movement is also shared with your teams. Whether they agree with the updates or not, it makes them feel connected to the business.
Stay true to your values and culture
Core values inform and reinforce your company’s culture, strategic direction, recruitment processes and how you interact with your customers and clients. In times of uncertainty it’s very important to identify and reinforce these values to your staff. This provides an anchor to work from and demonstrates the business is on track, strong and stable.
Culture club
For employees to successfully adapt to this new style of working, they need to feel valued within their role. This equals more than a regular check in. It’s also about the broader team culture. You want this to be supportive, empathetic, inclusive, collaborative, proactive and encouraging initiative. Use team forums to highlight employees who have done a great job. Try to give everyone an opportunity to shine. Spread the praise. Don’t forget about the wall flowers.
Be authentic, not perfect
While you’re expected to play a strong leadership role, you also need to empathise with your teams’ challenges. This means you might need to relax a little and expose some of your own vulnerabilities. When running your one-on-ones think about what it means to really listen and care. Answer questions and provide reassurance on work and/or personal issues.
Get your team smiling
This is so important. There are plenty of ways to crack a grin – team quizzes, virtual drinks, step challenges, exercise time-outs, cooking challenges – ask the team what works for them. Try different formats or a mix. Just make sure you have regular time booked each week, where the conversation has nothing to do with work. It’s about relaxing and connecting as a team.
The buck stops with you
As you can see there are many small ways you can make a big difference to your team’s experience while working from home. Not only do these practices help them perform as happy, high functioning, individuals, it will also create a strong, united group – and that’s exactly what you need to do your job.