Executive HR Women’s Network Meeting Recap

Staffing Solutions Enterprises’ Executive HR Women’s Network recently had the privilege of hosting Christina Moran P.h.D., Licensed Industrial and Organization Psychologist, for an impactful session on ““Tools to ACTUALLY Achieve Culture Change in Your Organization.”

As leaders in People Ops, we understand the profound impact of organizational culture on our workforce and overall success. Moran’s session provided actionable strategies to drive lasting culture transformation, fostering environments where teams can thrive and adapt effectively to change.

Attributes of a Strong Company Culture

First, we dove into the defining characteristics of strong and thriving organizational cultures. These attributes included fostering alignment among team members, cultivating high levels of engagement, instilling a shared sense of purpose, prioritizing values-based decision-making, encouraging innovation, embracing ethical risk-taking, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, and ultimately, driving enhanced business outcomes.

Attendees mentioned the significance of organizations not only articulating their mission and vision but also embodying these principles in everyday operations. Creating channels for meaningful employee involvement and expression emerged also as a key theme, highlighting the importance of inclusive and participatory practices. 

Strategies for Building a Strong Culture

Moran outlined several strategies for cultivating a thriving organizational culture:

1. Listening Generously: Cultivating curiosity and open-mindedness in our listening practices leads to compassion and the expansion of perspectives. By actively listening to employees’ concerns, suggestions, and feedback, organizations can foster a culture of trust and collaboration.

2. Speaking Straight: Embracing honest and direct communication that focuses on problem-solving without blame or defensiveness, fostering collective ownership of challenges. This approach encourages transparent dialogue and enables teams to address issues proactively.

3. Being for Each Other: Recognizing and appreciating the positive intent in others’ actions creates a supportive and collaborative environment. By welcoming a culture of empathy and understanding, organizations can strengthen relationships and enhance teamwork.

4. Honoring Commitments: Understanding that commitments are shared responsibilities, emphasizing accountability and follow-through to uphold mutual agreements for everyone involved. By ensuring alignment between words and actions, organizations can build credibility and trust among employees.

5. Acknowledgment & Appreciation: Personalizing expressions of appreciation to understand and meet individual needs effectively, ensuring meaningful recognition. By acknowledging employees’ contributions and achievements in a genuine and tailored manner, organizations can foster a culture of appreciation and motivation.

6. Inclusion & Alignment: Prioritizing inclusion to reduce resistance and encourage alignment towards shared goals. By creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected, organizations can leverage the collective strengths of their workforce to drive innovation and success.

Driving Change: Implementation Strategies

After Moran uncovered the strategies for initiating culture change, we dove into the practical steps for implementation:

1. Executive Buy-In: Cultivating intentional commitment from leadership, emphasizing the importance of learning, practicing, and coaching behaviors conducive to cultural transformation. Executives play a crucial role in setting the tone and direction for cultural change, and their endorsement is essential for fostering buy-in throughout the organization.

2. Manager Buy-In: Engaging managers in understanding the organizational and personal benefits of culture change, promoting their active participation in fostering desired behaviors. Managers serve as key influencers within their teams and departments, and their support is critical for cascading cultural initiatives and driving adoption at the grassroots level.

3. Everyone on Board: Implementing education, reinforcement, and consequences across all levels of the organization to ensure widespread adoption and sustainability of cultural shifts. Culture change requires collective effort and commitment from all employees, and organizations must provide the necessary resources and support to empower individuals to embrace and live out the cultural transformation.

Christina Moran’s session highlighted the importance of embracing cultural transformation as a dynamic and ongoing process within organizations. By implementing the strategies outlined and fostering a culture of listening, openness, support, accountability, appreciation, and inclusion, we can create environments where employees feel valued, engaged, and empowered to contribute their best work.