It can be difficult for leaders to manage the daily responsibilities of leading a company while also trying to create a healthier culture. But leaders play a crucial role in building a better workplace culture and improving performance.
Inc. offers the following strategies to help leaders create a healthy, high-performing culture.
- Identify what your company cares about. You must understand your organization's overall purpose and make a clear connection between the mission and overall purpose.
- Examine where the organization is and where you want it to be. Leaders must assess and comprehend the current reality of the company—including gathering feedback from employees—before creating a vision for the future.
- Determine how to proceed. How will you bridge the gap from the current state of your company culture to what you envision for the future? Ask questions such as: What are the specific mindsets, behaviors and actions that must be implemented across the organization to realize the desired culture? What are the limiting mindsets, behaviors and actions people must abandon? Is there an equal emphasis on driving organizational health and performance for every initiative?
- Define what you want the company to stand for. There need to be performance standards that align and inspire the entire organization and advance the culture. Identify a statement that describes the culture you seek and values you prize and use it as your organization’s cultural purpose statement.
- Find where the company can have the most significant effects. You do not want an abundance of initiatives with no clear focus. Every business has a few initiatives that will have a significant effect compared with others. Stay well-informed with all aspects of your company, let go of things that do not work and be ready to adapt.
