The 3 Key Elements Of A Strong Organizational Culture

On our mission to transform people management into people development, we’ve found that the largest shift organizations are making is the realization that employees bring their entire selves to work (and they’re more effective when they do so.) What does this mean? Here’s a quick, real life example.

When our Partnerships Manager, Karissa Parks, talks about why she joined Leadr and why she loves the organizational culture, she will share that it’s because she is able to bring her whole self to work. As a mom, a church-planter, a professional, and many other things, it’s important that she is able to have the flexibility and trust to balance her passions well.

There are three areas that play into this positive experience for Karissa and encourage her to bring her all to work every day. Here are those 3 elements:

1. Leadership development opportunities
2. A dedicated Human Resources or People Department
3. A commitment to holistic employee health

Leadership development gives employees a brighter future at work.

One of the best ways to ensure that you have a strong organizational culture is by emphasizing employee development and taking part in it. Nowadays, people want more out of their career than just performing tasks. They want to know how they’re doing. They want a chance to learn and grow. They want to feel seen as a person. 

In fact, according to LinkedIn, over a quarter of Gen Z and Millennials say the number one reason they’d leave their job is because they did not have the opportunity to learn and grow. But currently, 63% of Millennials said their leadership skills were not being fully developed. It’s time to change that. 

Implementing a leadership development program communicates to your employees that you care about their career and that you believe they’re worth investing in. A leadership development program will give your staff a safe environment to learn and grow in the areas they’re passionate about, while also contributing to the growth of your organization by building up the people that influence its success.

Leadership development programs also give you the opportunity to get to know your staff, and give your staff the opportunity to get to know each other as they walk through the program together.

Be sure to accompany your development programs with weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with each of your team members, so you’ll know exactly what each team member has going on and how they’re progressing. You’ll get to know their strengths and weaknesses, what they may have going on personally that affects them at work, and what they hope to accomplish in their career. That enables you to lead them in a way that’s beneficial to both them and the organization at large, because your team member is able to show up to work as a whole person, not just as the tasks they need to get done.

A good HR department can make the difference between an okay workplace and a great one.

Gone are the days when human resource departments only existed to protect an organization against liability. Now, your HR department can and should have a lot more to do with holistic staff care, and this is an approach that begins on an employee’s first day. 

Here are a few things to think through as you assess how your HR team cares for your staff. 

• What does onboarding look like at your organization? Is it all about laying down rules and guidelines or are you seeking ways to involve and invest in your employees from day one? 
• What kind of benefits does your organization offer and have they been clearly explained? 
• What does your performance review process look like? Are employees given clear goals and development tracks or simply being assessed for their contribution to the organization.

But this is just the beginning of where HR makes their mark. Your HR department should be the keeper of culture and a place where your employees know it’s safe to raise concerns or new ideas for how the organization can best provide care for the staff. Allow your staff to play an active role in creating a work environment that allows them to thrive.

How does your HR department take the extra step to care for team members?

The health of your organization begins with the health of your staff.

It used to be that the only attention the workplace paid to an employee’s health was by providing them healthcare benefits. Don’t get us wrong, healthcare benefits are extremely important, especially in today’s day and age. In fact, according to CareerBuilder, 15% of employees in the workplace are actively pursuing new opportunities based on a lack of benefits offered by their employer. But there’s more to an employee’s health than just the physical. 

More and more employees are reporting feelings of overwhelm, burnout, and depression during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and as technology allows us to remain “plugged in” at all times. When employers take the initiative to care for their employees' well-being holistically, staff members can show up more motivated, focused, and effective.

What are some ways that you can offer health support to your employees? We’re glad you asked! Here are just a few ideas:

• If you’re an organization that’s able to offer healthcare benefits to employees, make sure it covers both physical and mental health. 
• Check in with your employees during one-on-ones to see how everyone is doing. Ask for ways you can support them during high-stress times.
• Offer to cover gym memberships or at-home fitness gear to encourage employees to prioritize physical health.
• Encourage holistic health awareness amongst your staff. Maybe that means encouraging employees to take some time off for mental health by offering generous PTO policies, or allowing staff members to work remotely when a member of their household is sick and needs care.
• Ask your team members how they learn and work best and help them find creative solutions for achieving that environment. Do they work best in teams? Help them seek out collaborative projects. Do they need silence to focus? Find a secluded area for them to spend a bulk of their workday.

The bottom line is, when you have a holistic approach to the care and development of your staff, then your staff is able to bring their holistically healthy selves to work. If every employee can show up physically and mentally healthy, they’ll be more productive and show more loyalty to the organization, naturally leading to better outcomes and a stronger organizational culture. It’s a win-win.

How are you caring for your team members this week? What steps are you taking to be a holistically healthy leader and encourage your team to do the same? Let us know in the comments.