Large and small businesses have gone through massive changes in the past few years. Many saw their profits fall; they lost employees and suffered from supply chain issues.
And work, as most people know it, changed forever during those years.
More people are working from home, and the traditional 9-5, Monday through Friday schedule has become more flexible. Employees want more work-life balance, time for their personal lives as well as their work.
This shift in attitudes and expectations has led to a culture change in most businesses, said Joey Havens, managing partner of strategic growth at HORNE. And if businesses aren’t thinking about their culture, they are putting their future at risk.
“Everybody is struggling with people,” he said. “When you’ve got 4 million people a month changing jobs or leaving the workforce, people are searching for talent. So, before you can truly grow today, you must look within the business – the number one challenge being culture.”
The Great Resignation
Havens said whether you call it The Great Resignation, The Great Re-evaluation or The Great Reset, the cause is all the same.
“People are really asking, ‘Why am I working?’ because their values are changing,” he said, adding that a business’s strategy will devour its future.
“You have no future if you don’t have a strong culture because people play such an important role in that,” Havens explained. “I think every business today has to answer the question, ‘Is our culture good enough?’” Remember why people work impacts how they work.
Culture means more than money
People are searching for more than a regular paycheck and periodic raises. They want to feel like part of the team, to be appreciated and respected as they work towards a purpose.
“Just giving somebody a raise or a promotion isn’t enough,” he said. “What we’re finding today is that’s not connecting with people. It’s a temporary fix, but it doesn’t move your culture from good to great.”
The leaders in every business must decide what their beliefs and values are and communicate them to their team members. But they also have to show them in their actions that they care, if we expect team members to do the same.
“Culture is the soul of an organization,” Havens said. “It’s what people feel and what they experience when they’re in the organization. It’s the beliefs and the values, but beyond that, it’s the actions.”
“People are going to believe what they see and experience. Culture is all those things. It is always evolving, so you have to work on it every day.”
Employees must feel like what they do matters, Havens said. That’s what great culture does.
“It’s always going to come down to an individual’s sense of belonging,” he said. “Do they feel connected enough to give their best, to be creative, to take risks and seek their full potential?” That’s the secret to a great culture: create an environment in a company where a person has a strong sense of belonging.”
Call or message us today to explore how we can help you move your culture from good to great.
