{"id":41900,"date":"2023-03-16T07:45:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T11:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/?p=41900"},"modified":"2023-03-15T15:46:43","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T19:46:43","slug":"4-tactics-to-keep-company-culture-strong-during-difficult-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/4-tactics-to-keep-company-culture-strong-during-difficult-times\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Tactics to Keep Company Culture Strong During Difficult Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this segment of \u201cOffice Optional with Larry English<\/a>,\u201d Larry shares why it’s important to keep company culture at the forefront of your business during difficult times.<\/h2>\n
\n

When Mary Kelly, founder of MCK Leadership Talent Group, worked in Bank of America\u2019s default servicing organization during the financial crisis of 2008, she found something extraordinary. The employees were doing an incredibly difficult job, fielding calls to and from homeowners in default on their mortgages yet remained an incredibly positive and engaged group.<\/p>\n

\u201cBank of America always invested in building their culture,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cDuring the worst time in the financial history of the company, these employees were doing a very difficult job yet still saw the vision and mission of the company and felt a sense of purpose in their work \u2014 to provide solutions for homeownership to their customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

As leaders face an uncertain economy in 2023, it\u2019s important to remember the power and value of culture<\/a>.<\/strong> It\u2019s not a project that can be shoved aside during difficult times. Culture is the very fabric of your organization that can help your teams navigate turbulent weather. In other words, when trouble strikes, it\u2019s time to double down on culture.<\/p>\n

Why Strong Culture Is a Necessity In 2023<\/h2>\n

Modern employees demand a lot more from their work experience than a paycheck. The 2022 Microsoft Work Trend Index<\/a> found that following compensation, the top factor employees value is a positive culture. And according to SHRM, companies lose $45 billion<\/a> annually from turnover due to poor culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople\u2019s expectations of organizations have changed, and employee choice is significantly more driven based on the elements of culture than ever before,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cOrganizations that don\u2019t invest in making a clear statement of their company mission and values and creating a culture where people can thrive are suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n

And when an economic downturn hits, those organizations are more likely to have difficulty making it through the other side.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kelly advises leaders to think of culture like a bank account. You want to be making daily deposits so there\u2019s a balance to draw from during rough periods. \u201cBuilding goodwill and trust \u2014 the emotional deposits you make to your culture \u2014 doesn\u2019t happen overnight,\u201d she says. \u201cBut if you put in the work daily in the long-term, your team will be better able to pull together when tough times hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet it can be all too easy to neglect culture during a crisis<\/a>. Here\u2019s how leaders can ensure culture remains healthy during a downturn:<\/p>\n

Regular culture check-ins.<\/h3>\n

A positive culture translates to stronger collaboration, communication, morale and engagement \u2014 essential for getting through a rough period intact. Regularly ask the following questions: How do employees perceive the culture? What is their workplace experience like? Does it reflect the company\u2019s mission and values? Can they articulate how those values translate to everyday behavior?<\/p>\n

Too often, there\u2019s a disconnect between leadership perception of culture and the actual lived employee experience.<\/strong> Research has found that among managers, over half feel leadership is out of touch with employee expectations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cContinuing to assess employee feedback, take action and work to align employee experience with what leadership perceives culture to be is critical,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cListening to employees can be one of the biggest impacts leaders can have during tough times.\u201d<\/p>\n

My company, Centric Consulting, for example, relies on Voice of the Employee (VOTE), an advisory team made up of a cross-selection of employees across the organization, to provide transparent feedback from employees to leadership. VOTE\u2019s most important function is to weigh in on any decisions impacting culture \u2014 the goal is to make sure Centric\u2019s culture remains strong as the company evolves.<\/p>\n

Transparent, abundant communication.<\/h3>\n

Uncertainty is a cause of stress and anxiety, so when times get tough, the worst thing leaders can do is stop the flow of communication. Instead, be as transparent as possible about changing business conditions, new challenges and the path forward.<\/strong> It\u2019s also important to admit when you\u2019re unsure about something \u2013 vulnerability helps breed trust across the entire organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen an economic downturn hits, the strain afflicted on a business directly impacts its people. Measures such as budget cuts, scaled-back perks and canceled events may have people on edge, believing that the company culture they signed on for is eroding under the stress. This only gets worse if their company isn\u2019t forthcoming about the financial side of the business,\u201d says Chris O\u2019Sullivan, senior vice president of finance at Workhuman. \u201cAnxiety only grows when people are left in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Showing appreciation for employees can go a long way toward keeping morale and engagement up.<\/p>\n

Express gratitude often.<\/h3>\n

Showing appreciation for employees can go a long way toward keeping morale and engagement up.<\/strong> \u201cEven in difficult times, if people are valued for the work that they do and their unique contributions to the company\u2019s culture, the unease they feel won\u2019t be nearly as acute,\u201d O\u2019Sullivan says, noting that Workhuman\u2019s Human Workplace Index<\/a> survey found that half of employees would feel more seen at work if they were recognized for their contributions. \u201cIn keeping the focus on building a safe, supportive environment in which employees feel valued, you can keep culture strong during a crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Embody the organization\u2019s values.<\/h3>\n

During difficult periods, all eyes will be on leadership. \u201cIt\u2019s another opportunity for employees to evaluate whether this is the right place for them,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cIt\u2019s important that organizations truly live their values and beliefs in how they treat employees during those tough times. If an organization has to layoff part of their workforce, for example, they need to think about the impact both to those being let go and those they\u2019re trying to retain, treating everyone with dignity and respect.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

By remaining transparent<\/a>, embodying organizational values, helping employees feel valued and regularly checking in with culture, leaders can ensure culture remains intact and their greatest resource \u2014 their people \u2014 remain satisfied and engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter all, it\u2019s your people who are going to get you through,\u201d O\u2019Sullivan says.<\/p>\n\n

\n
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This article was originally featured on Forbes.com.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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