Companies that experience rapid growth can often find that culture initiatives have been lost in the process. How can this be averted?
For Marie Unger, the CEO of organisational development company Emergenetics International, an early sign that a company is outgrowing its culture is in a clear lack of alignment and a separation of priorities.
“As growth occurs, that connectedness can dissipate. Leaders should be on the lookout for fractures in understanding across the workforce, as they can be signals that the culture is shifting.”
Another sign that company culture is changing in the wake of scalability, is in missed performance metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators), explained Unger. “When teams that have historically met their objectives begin to go off course or are not able to keep pace with evolving demands, it is often an indicator that the old ways of doing business are no longer serving the company,” she said.
Standardised scalability
Company culture is not a one-size-fits-all outfit, noted Unger, rather, “every organisation should be able to identify its distinct reason for being and build a culture that facilitates the achievement of its goals”.
“When you consider what the organisation delivers, who it serves and what the future will look like because of its efforts, you identify the exclusive drivers that should inspire a workplace’s ethos,” she said.
Company size can greatly influence scalability, as Unger noted start-ups in particular have a unique advantage as standards can be set and managed from day one. With each additional hire, company ideology can be passed on with relative ease.
Where she sees medium and larger sized companies benefitting is in the allocation of resources – financial, human and technological – to be invested in supporting culture initiatives. “No matter a company’s size, it’s most important to recognise the impact that culture can have on performance and commit to making it a priority,” said Unger.
Companies pursuing mergers or acquisitions also have much to consider in the introduction and maintenance of culture amid their scalability goals. Unger would encourage leaders to add culture to their extensive list of integration policies as a failure to do so early on tends to damage the merging of employees.
“The scope of the integration will also inform the degree of culture scaling that will be required. If it’s a blending of operations, it’s important to seek win-win solutions recognising that both organisations have culture elements that can serve the combined organisation.
“If one company is acquiring the other, leaders must create a plan to effectively communicate culture shifts, enact change and cultivate buy-in from the acquired team members,” she added.
For Unger, the companies least likely to scale effectively are the ones wherein the culture lacks consistency. “It is easy in times of fast growth or turbulence for the focus on maintaining culture to diminish. Establishing cultural pillars provides a framework that everyone can lean into at any time to ensure they are working inside the agreed-upon norms of the organisation.”
She noted the leaders who are proactive and attentive to the ever-evolving needs of employees will be more likely to see their company culture thrive in times of change.
Solid strategies
In Unger’s experience, a strong company culture is one that puts the workforce at the centre. “Employees are every organisation’s most valuable asset, so companies that focus on cultivating their abilities and supporting the needs of their staff are likely to outshine and outlast their competitors,” she said.
To generate a people-first ecosystem, she noted that employers have to consistently analyse their practices and encourage employees to always bring their very best to the company.
“There are a few core elements that can be drivers including purpose, belonging, holistic benefits, employee voice and growth opportunities. When an organisation invests in creating a positive work environment, employee motivation increases.”
By motivating employees and showing that they have your trust and respect through culture initiatives, organisations will likely experience positive outcomes, for example, strong retention among staff members, enhanced productivity, increased engagement and improved recruiting, she explained.
Ultimately for Unger, the companies that exhibit strong, scalable cultures are the ones committed to transparent communication, wherein employees are encouraged to share their concerns and perspectives. “In welcoming input, the organisation builds an environment of trust and accountability.
“As the old saying goes, ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’ To set a company and its employees up for success, I advise leaders to think of the future state so that when they achieve their business goals, it’s done with scalability in mind,” said Unger. “Mapping the milestones that are most likely to activate change is an effective way to identify the potential tipping points of culture.”
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