Creating a Culture of Loyalty and Flow
Have you ever experienced a culture that simply flows? Some organizational cultures might feel like they are really about the drama. In others the turnover is so high that it might be hard to determine the culture. How do you create a culture of loyalty and flow?
The difference for many successful organizational cultures certainly has something to do with the people. Often the emphasis is with on-boarding practices. Finding, hiring, and retaining the right people.
Certainly on-boarding plays a significant role but when you strive for a diverse and well respected organization the culture might be more about flow. Perhaps it should be more about pull and less about push.
Pushing for Loyalty
Some organizational cultures have more of a push atmosphere. People are hired based on their resume and an interview. Most of the focus is on knowledge, skills, and abilities. Secondarily there is interest in attitude, work ethic, and fit.
Once they’ve joined the organization the push begins. Certainly their job performance matters but now there is pressure for fit. Some of the pressure might feel picky, petty, and leave employees wondering why.
Push is often connected with the authoritarian approach, an atmosphere of dictators, and a network of underground social cliques.
Employees are pushed towards say this, do that, and make sure you get it right each time. There is a lot of concern about the words that are used, appearances, and the image that is created.
The feeling might be, “I don’t care about you. I care about what you get done.” The focus is on throughput and the employees are tools.
This is in sharp contrast with, “You’re important in this. Let’s focus on what we can accomplish.”
Culture of Loyalty
Having an organizational culture that pulls people into it seems to be much more effective. Attraction, being drawn in, it makes a difference.
It is a culture about actions, results, and the focus is on products or services. Instead of a theme about what to say or how to act and who isn’t complying, it is a theme about the customer experience and lasting relationships.
Social interactions are caring, natural, and flowing. The focus is on doing what matters for the business and for the customer. Because of this intense focus there is less room for drama, fewer rules are violated, and policies serve more as guidelines.
It Flows
In a culture of loyalty and flow ideas are valued and opinions matter. There is much more interest in participating. There is respect. Employees are engaged.
For this culture outsiders want in and insiders want to stay.
Every organizational culture will need guidelines, policies, and rules.
Some will need to enforce them, others will just flow.
– DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
