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The influence of culture in adapting to a new normal

As many Queensland organisations get back to business, some are realising the behaviours and attitudes of their workers have shifted.

Oct 28, 2020, updated Oct 29, 2020
Photo by Arlington Research / Unsplash

Photo by Arlington Research / Unsplash

Pushing teams back to business as usual without understanding what they have learnt and how things have changed could send a disconnected message that leads to talent retention issues down the track.

As organisations define their new normal, the focus must be on shaping organisational culture – for the benefit of both staff and the organisation itself.

Many staff are still working remotely, while others are returning to the ‘office’, so nurturing culture is more important than ever.

BDO in Brisbane People Advisory Lead, Associate Director Dr Joe Occhino stressed it is not enough to post value statements on a wall, send gifts or introduce coffee machines, bean bags and ping pong tables.

Dr Joe Occhino

“Culture is deeply structural and behaviour driven, a powerful resource that only humans can create and sustain,” Dr Occhino explained.

“It is much more intangible than people think, consisting of the normalised behaviours accepted and played-out in the day-to-day organisational environment.

“Leave it unguided and it will form itself – a risk not worth taking in today’s uncertain environment because those organisations that managed culture well will become the employers of choice when the dust settles.

“You can tell when culture is moving in the right direction because people feel safe to call out behaviours that do not align with what their leaders determine is appropriate.

“This level of trust and comfort is crucial; adding value that is arguably priceless to any organisation,” he said.

How important is culture in the current environment?

In situations where the future could change in an instant, culture is central to survival.

Organisations who have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic response so far have relied on their people to step up and make sacrifices.

Culture is key to enabling a crisis response, because with the right culture employees are motivated to play their part, thus providing their organisations with a level of flexibility to take proactive action in the best interests of all stakeholders,” said Dr Occhino.

“If employees do not feel valued or respected, or if there is a lack of direction on how they are expected to behave, the likely outcome is that employees will leave in favour of organisations that support and develop their people.”

How challenging is it to shift culture?

An organisation’s culture can be unravelled in a second, and the responsibility ultimately resides with leaders to walk the talk.

“Many leaders often think too big when it comes to changing or shifting the culture,” Dr Occhino said.

“Programs, workshops, rewards, these are all important and useful, but it is easier to go back to basics – focus on your people.

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“All human beings want to feel like they matter, so leaders must show their people they matter by recognising effort, thanking them for a job well done, being close by to offer support and showing genuine interest in developing and growing their careers.

“Environments like this will foster an environment where workers want to show other people – and their clients/customer – that they matter.

“In turn, organisational culture will move a step forward every single day.”

Can you demonstrate ROI on company culture?

Unhappiness in a workforce can cost an organisation a fortune each year.

“Time and again organisations have sought our help to improve their bottom line when the root cause of their money problems was unhappy staff – high turnover, poor customer service, low productivity,” Dr Occhino said.

“An organisation could have the most efficient processes and up to date systems and technology, but it is people that drive the strategy.

“If that is not right, organisational performance is likely to stall and even decrease.

“All of these things detract from profitability, so taking time to analyse people, not just profits, could improve an organisation’s margins and demonstrate considerable return on investment.”

To assess whether your organisational culture could be detracting from your organisation’s ability to thrive, contact a BDO People Advisory expert.

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