A Healthy Organizational Culture Matters
I’ve had the good fortune to work for and lead organizations that offer excellent wages and benefits, and those that offer meager ones. Fortunate because through these experiences, I’ve discovered that wages plus benefits alone do not determine satisfaction among employees, nor healthy and productive organizations.
Leaders of high performing teams understand that performance and productivity is tied to employees’ overall health and sense of well-being. Competitive wages, career advancement, retirement savings, healthcare, childcare, professional development, a variety of packaged paid time off, and so on are fundamental tools for recruiters and managers. They are also ones that strengthen the economy and build value in the community. And yet, an organization doesn’t succeed or fail on these alone.
The perceptive manager will have a pulse on their team’s physical, emotional, and mental health at all times, knowing that productivity and performance will be impacted. Change being the only constant, an overall sense of well-being can be variable by individual, and by circumstance, and most often determined by organizational culture. It takes leadership to establish vision and values that resonate with employees beyond their personal bottom line.
Let’s not forget that productivity and performance has a lot to do with your people simply being happy at work. Think laughter. Think common courtesy. Think kindness. Think respect and empathy. These are not easily measured, but one knows it when they feel it and see it. By keeping an eye on values such as these, organizations can and do choose to recruit, develop talent, and build high-performing teams, all the while strengthening an organization’s value proposition.
Organizational and workplace culture is created when values are modeled by leaders and embraced by employees.
Organizational and workplace culture is created when values are modeled by leaders and embraced by employees.
It takes leaders who commit to model and practice those values, to hire employees who commit to the same, to focus on the workplace experience, and the experience of spending quality time with others, problem-solving, producing results, and contributing. Together they can create an overall sense of well-being and, yes, happiness.
This article “12 Secrets to Keeping Employees Happy Without a Raise” lays out a number of pretty fabulous tips for managers and leaders on this topic. Here’s a sampling:
“If you’re looking to keep an employee by giving him/her a raise, it’s already too late. Find people who share the operational values of your organization from the outset, test for fit early, and allow growth opportunities to express that value.”
– Zachary Watson, CEO at HoneyCo
“One can’t underestimate the importance of walking into the office as the boss with a smile on my face and making sure I give the same feeling of importance to everyone.”
– Jon Sumroy, CEO and inventor of Mifold
“…kudos cost nothing but provide important public recognition for a job well done, effectively compensating people in the form of social currency, which is highly valued.”
– Gary Beasley, co-founder and CEO of Roofstock
