There is so much opportunity to do things differently in organizations to create an environment that everyone loves coming to work every day and goes home feeling safe, valued and fulfilled.
Is it Culture or Climate?
Workplace culture is very different from workplace climate. The two are often used interchangeably with mismatched solutions applied trying to use climate interventions to change culture. Edgar Schein, PhD, the guru and leading researcher on corporate culture, offers this description. “Culture is the hidden force that drives most of our behavior both inside and outside the organization”. It goes way beyond, “it’s the way we do things around here”. The culture of an organization plays a significant role in shaping employee behavior and fostering organizational change.
It’s like looking at a river; all of the things you see on the surface from the flow of the water to the shape of the river bed are manifestations of an ever-changing, powerful current beneath the surface. In terms of culture, that current that ultimately drives the strength and direction includes the unconscious, taken-for-granted beliefs, perception, thoughts and feelings. (Salveo Partners, LLC)
These are some common questions I ask people when they are curious about impacting change in their organizations.
- How would you describe your current culture? From the answers I get a good idea if they even know what culture is and where there may be issues.
- Have you ever measured your culture? Have you specifically looked at the alignment or gaps between your current and desired culture? Chances are they’ve done an engagement survey but likely haven’t actually defined where they’re going (desired culture) or looked at actual cultural norms.
The “Thriving Workplace Culture Survey™ is a survey tool that accounts for both Organizational and Employee Wellbeing. Based on 14 characteristics that make up a thriving workplace, it measures strength and alignment of culture in 6 key areas:
- Organizational Identity
- Leadership
- Growth & Development
- Workplace Climate
- Work Life Integration
- Employee Wellbeing
Would you like to learn more about creating a process to build a thriving workplace culture that frees, fuels and inspires people to bring their best selves to work?
Contact me for a discovery call to find out if LeadWell Coaching Strategies, LLC can help your organization create a strategy for a thriving workplace culture.
703-244-8381
