Cultivating organizational culture: A guide for People leaders

Cultivating a thriving organizational culture is necessary for high-performing organizations. However, according to a recent Gallup report, People leaders face challenges in engaging, upskilling and developing employees. 

We’re here to distill valuable insights from this report into actionable steps, helping you lead with confidence and pride.

Understanding the essence of organizational culture

In the quest for robust employee engagement, recognizing the significance of organizational culture is paramount.

• Company culture defined: Your company culture should explain "how we do things around here."
• Unique culture: Because every organization has its own history and goals, every organization has a unique culture.

To help employees understand your organizational culture, People leaders should:

• Define your culture: Clearly articulate your organization's unique culture.
• Align goals with your culture: Ensure that your learning initiatives resonate with your company's culture, including your history and future objectives.
• Encourage transparent communication styles: Foster a culture of open communication to strengthen your organization's identity.

Why company culture matters in employee engagement

While employee engagement and culture are distinct, they heavily influence each other. Your company's culture is a driving force in engaging employees. Here’s how:

• Attracting talent: A strong culture is a magnet for top-tier talent.
• Creating alignment: A unified culture propels the organization forward.

To support employee engagement, here’s what People leaders should do:

• Communicate purpose: Ensure employees understand and connect with the company's purpose — and how their jobs tie into it.
• Promote alignment: Align employees with the company's mission, creating a shared vision of your future success.
• Engage employees with shared learning experiences: Classes on empathetic leadership, collaboration and trust are ideal for enhancing culture through learning. But make sure the classes and instructors you bring to your team align with your unique culture.

Leadership's role in shaping organizational culture

Great company culture doesn't happen by accident. Creating a culture must be a deliberate effort led by influential leaders.

When culture is not intentionally created, you run the risk of culture problems, including a toxic culture, which comes from confused and misaligned culture signals.

Here’s what People leaders can do to create an intentional culture:

• Get leadership buy-in: Ensure leadership is aligned on the desired company culture.
• Address misalignment: Tackle inconsistencies in communication and actions.
• Create action plans: Develop strategies to reshape cultural expectations. (Consider including high-performance culture training.)

Transforming culture: A phased approach

Realizing the need for change is one thing. Implementing culture change effectively is another.

Here are 4 steps People leaders can take to start enhancing organizational culture:

1. Assess your culture: Evaluate the state of your culture at this moment in time.
2. Define the gap: Identify disparities between ideal and actual cultures. Then build out your strategies to close that gap.
3. Align activities with culture: Bring initiatives in line with your desired culture.
4. Establish accountability: Set up systems for continuous evaluation and accountability.

Navigating the future of culture + employee engagement

By understanding the intricacies of your company's culture, recognizing the role of leadership and implementing a strategic approach to cultural transformation, you can pave the way for a more engaged, skilled and satisfied workforce. As you embark on this transformative journey, Electives is here to support you with modern L&D tailored to align with your unique culture.

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