Culture can always be created, upheld, and espoused at the executive level, but it is not effective unless it is also taught at the employee level. An organization’s culture is only as strong as those who care least about it; thus, CEOs must ensure that all employees of an organization understand the importance of maintaining the company’s culture in all aspects of their work.
Often, employees within lower levels of an organization are not involved in the higher-level discussions around generating, implementing, and maintaining culture. Therefore, the best way to ensure this message is clear throughout all levels of the organization is by dedicating time and resources to efficient, effective culture training customized to those receiving the training.
Culture training for employees requires translating the desired culture, originally established at the executive leadership level, into an implementable, cross-level framework that can be communicated and upheld in a tangible way by all employees.
The importance of culture training
Culture training not only helps employees understand the culture and share the company vision, but also helps them understand the role they play themselves in upholding that culture. Individuals may have a surface-level understanding of the values espoused by the company they work for, but they may not understand how or why they are responsible for implementing certain aspects of those values. Training helps to bridge this gap by answering questions and demonstrating how a lack of culture and values can negatively affect both individuals and the organization as a whole.
In designing a culture training program, leaders must understand their company’s strengths and weaknesses to identify where training is actually needed, and where it is already being exemplified. Training should show employees where the culture is already working and being upheld to its fullest extent, so they can translate that to other areas too. Training should also be specific to those receiving it – employees in certain branches or levels do not always find the same relevance in the same messaging. Retention of the training materials will be maximized through specific, targeting training that is directly applicable to each employee’s daily work and interactions within the organization.
The wording used to describe culture can sometimes incorporate fairly conceptual or aspirational language. The training must translate these concepts into street-level language to more clearly describe the actions and behaviors needed to fully implement the culture throughout the organization’s various roles. This is what ensures continued success with respect to culture being upheld, respected, and embodied throughout an organization.
For example, with one company I worked with, Catalyst Clinical Research, our job was to listen, interpret and determine what was already working well and what could be built on and then to translate that into the framework and training. This resulted in what we called “C3”, a framework that effectively operationalized the entire culture. Through my direct coaching and support, Catalyst leaders did not view C3 Framework as a stand-alone program, but rather as a wider organizational framework, underpinning Catalyst’s Vision, Mission, and Values.
Culture inconsistency is the same as having no culture at all
Increasingly, company successes are being measured by more non-conventional metrics, including how lower-level employees feel about their workplace, its values, and how they are valued as individuals. By prioritizing training around culture and values, organizations prove their values and demonstrate their interest in maintaining them across the board.
Organizations that preach their culture at the executive level, but that have no interest in ensuring its existence and maintenance at all levels, expose a lack of genuine values and consideration for its people. This in turn causes increased employee and customer dissatisfaction, which increases turnover rates and worsens overall performance.
A weak culture is expensive
There are many significant financial benefits to a healthy workplace culture. When you have a strong company culture that is both understood and upheld throughout all levels, you see greater productivity, engagement, and employee happiness. This directly corresponds to improved employee retention and customer satisfaction. In contrast, increased employee stress due to unhappiness and dissatisfaction with working conditions results in decreased productivity, lower engagement rates, and even contempt for the organization’s success.
For example, it has been shown that a disengaged employee costs about $3,400 in productivity for every $10,000 in salary paid. Similarly, a $50,000-salaried disengaged employee costs you $17,000 in productivity. Employee turnover typically costs you 40% of their salary in productivity, i.e. losing a $50,000 salaried team member costs you $20,000 in productivity.
It is only through the continuous, concerted effort by those in leadership positions to articulate the importance of culture – and to train employees in upholding that culture – that these benefits will be maximized.
At Brilliance Within, we are experts at formulating deep culture into a behavioral-based framework with which leaders can educate and train their employees, thus guaranteeing longer-term results and continued engagement with the company culture as an entire organization.
If this sounds like something your team would benefit from, feel free to reach out to me here: https://brilliancewithincoaching.com/