Although companies have long used training to meet harassment prevention compliance requirements, now more than ever, it is critical for organizations to enact purposeful agendas around workplace harassment. When implemented thoughtfully and in a way that is nuanced and relatable, training can be a vital and cost-effective tool for improving workplace culture while mitigating significant risk.
Cost versus risk
Last week was the first episode of Survivor, Season 41. I have not missed an episode in 40 seasons, except one episode in Season 7 in the Pearl Islands. I suppose that makes me a fan.
Of course, it’s “only” reality TV (or so I am told). But its reality sometimes mirrors workplace realities.
Last week was no exception. If you unfortunately missed last week, let me catch you up before you tune in tonight.
This season, the rules of the game have changed in so many ways. But that’s not the focus of this blog.
Experts vary on the number of cognitive biases we may hold. The scariest list comes from Wikipedia, with over one hundred - 188 to be exact. Less than 20 permeate the workplace. People's beliefs create a corporate culture. And I wonder to what extent they might be at the root of the resistance to change that is slowing down the Future of work set up - the flexible workspace - that a large majority of people want. Let’s dig in.
A lot has been written about the importance of culture within a team, a division, or the larger organization. It matters. Culture is akin to the air we breathe – it’s all around us, and even though you might, or might not, be able to see it, you can feel it, you know it’s there. You know it affects how you feel. And just like air, when the wind blows or a storm rolls in, you can feel that, too.
It’s time to eliminate the Boss persona and Boss-like behavior from our politics, businesses, and organizations in 2021. Based on managing teams and enterprises around the world, I understand that this change is much easier said than done. However, employees must stop making excuses for a boss’s toxic behaviors for teams to succeed.
Winning a” best employer award” can help attract new talent and reinforce workplace pride within existing employees.
How do you become a best place to work?
When you’re working hard on culture change, it’s natural for your team to feel skeptical.
After all, you’ve been thinking about this for a while.
You’re committed to engagement and making a difference.
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been in a situation where we felt we didn’t belong. Perhaps it was that birthday party of a friend of a friend where you just couldn’t find anything in common. Maybe you were underdressed (or overdressed) for a professional conference. When faced with these types of situations and the uncomfortable feelings they bring up, we typically try to leave.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has forced many employees and teams to work remotely as businesses try to maintain operations. This new model of work is putting company culture to the test. Without physical interaction and typical processes, employees may not feel as connected or productive. Leaders need to adapt their culture to accommodate the current reality of working so that employees remain rooted in the culture while teleworking.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been very clear about what his organization does with its brilliant jerks: It gets rid of them. As he has said in the past about them: “Some companies tolerate them. For us, the cost to effective teamwork is too high.”
Netflix aspires to develop a “Dream Team,” which they define this way:
Workplace culture.
For an intangible force, culture has a critical impact on every part of your business. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently released a report on the high costs of a toxic workplace. This report revealed that 20 percent of employees have left their job due to the culture of their organization.
On September 25, @shrmnextchat chatted with HR professionals and others from around the world about Taming a Toxic Workplace Culture.
If you missed this important chat filled with tips and advice about how to identify and remove the toxic elements from your culture to build healthier, happier and more-productive organizations, you can read all the tweets here or below:
