According to the most recent SHRM poll, “creating a culture that attracts and retains the best workers” is projected to remain a priority through 2022. What a surprise, right?
For me, leadership, engagement, retention, acquiring and retaining top talent and satisfied customers–all hinge on corporate culture.
For me, culture is the combination of attitudes, values and beliefs that drive the behaviors of company leaders. Those behaviors and beliefs are reflected in important policies practices and procedures. All together these things become the culture that drives everyone else’s behaviors and beliefs.
That kind of simplification leaves out some important nuances we can discuss another time, but it really comes down to what you experience during the workday. It’s not how the mission statement on the wall reads. There’s always that difference between the “walk” and the “talk” isn’t there?
The truth is, there seems to be more dysfunctional people out there than functional ones. Same goes for companies, of course. Personalities matter, whether you’re talking about the company as a whole, or the people in your work group, or your boss.
To remake a culture (which is how you create a company where top performers choose to stay) means a commitment to changing behaviors and beliefs from the top down. It can be a slow process, because that means driving these changes through, one relationship at a time. It also means swapping behaviors that feel comfortable and safe (even if they’re dysfunctional) for ones that may seem risky at first. Lots of training. Lots of coaching.
SHRM, Gallup and other surveys on HR issues fascinate me. But they usually make me want to ask more questions. So this time I made up my own survey. How fascinating it gets depends on folks like you!
I know you’re motivated to take this survey already, but a couple of lucky people will win a $50 Best Buy gift card, just for participating. The cut off date is March 15th, so don’t put it off!
You’ll see data as soon as you’re done, but I also promise to post a new blog on the open-ended responses, when the survey closes. Now that should be really fascinating.
