11 Dec The True Value of a Healthy Workplace Culture

By Travis Foster, Edited by Karen Sawyer

The Employee/Employer relationship is as dynamic and unique as it is significant.

Although all relationships are born out of circumstance and require constant input from both sides to survive, the unspoken dialogue between these two parties is as complex as it is evolutionary, with reading between the lines – whether that be in terms of role clarity, company Vision, or the expectation of staff members – too often cemented, to its detriment, as a cornerstone of workplace culture.

In lieu of a culture of transparency, this communicatory guesswork promotes the use of the Stick just as much as the Carrot, with both overt command-and-control extremes more often than not failing to achieve their desired outcomes of improved employee performance, increased alignment with Company goals, and an environment of positivity, trust, and motivation.

The Evolution of Career Satisfaction

Twenty-first-century jobs have become far more complex than their production-line ancestors whose simplistic action/reaction equation made them more open to the benefits of an equally basic reward/punishment response.  Now, as knowledge work prevails and individual objectives move from dollars to the desire for an interesting, purposeful and autonomous working role, true motivation now boils down to three elements according to Daniel Pink, author of the impacting workplace read Drive.  These elements include Autonomy, the desire to direct our own lives; Mastery, the desire to continually improve at something that matters to us; and Purpose, the desire to do things in service of something larger than ourselves.  Pink goes on to warn that organisations relying on money as a reward for tasks, are not only ineffective as motivators but can actually be harmful (1).

These comments support increasing research findings identifying that employees do not rank their salary as the top factor in determining whether they like their jobs or not.  What is important to them, is the opportunity to do what is ’important’(2).

Supporting this finding, Lisa Lai, business advisor, consultant and coach, further cautions against this approach and argues that motivation is less about doing great work, and more about feeling great about the work itself (3).

The Onus of Cultural Creation

One would add that work is synonymous with the workplace itself, with overall organisational culture, Vision, and management style working together to make or break employee motivation, with each intrinsically connected and reliant on the other.

So, is the Employer solely liable for maintaining an organisational culture with the aim to improve Employee engagement and, ultimately, outcomes? Or is it up to the Employee to toe the line?

The answer is neither one or the other.

Instead, both employer and employee are required to work together to achieve this shared goal.  This co-creative concept can especially challenge the deeply held beliefs of those with long-established hierarchical styles who have been the subject of staff deception, resistance and sabotage and subsequently tightened their grasp on the disciplinary Stick without pausing to ponder which comes first in the proverbial chicken and egg argument; the disgruntled employee or the desultory workplace environment.

Such leaders feel like they have been burnt too many times to release the noose and, indeed, often tighten it in response to past threats with dire results, such as major attrition, reduced output, and increased discomposure in the workplace.  Future organisational viability is also threatened, with data showing 6 out of 10 millennials value a sense of purpose above fiscal rewards when considering a job opportunity.

Financial acknowledgement still has a place in performance management, however, it’s obviously no longer the whole story.  Both employer and employee must actively speak to the organisational culture to ensure a continued satisfaction from both parties, which, in turn, dictates the success of the whole.

5 Keys to Promoting a Positive Workplace Culture

1. Distribute rewards equitably, independent of role or stature, and ensure they are directly correlated to performance.
2. Complement each other on a job well done. It sounds basic, but sincere acknowledgement feeds a performance cycle which can reap more rewards than any cash bonus.
3. Be transparent and mitigate the destructive rumour mill by staying in touch with employees about key decisions and organisational directives.
4. Invest in your own development. Employers are not wholly and solely responsible for staff advancement, with employees needing to take responsibility for their own training and development.
5. Outline a greater goal, and advocate participation by encouraging networking in favour or destructive silos.

In summary, outdated methods and motivational tricks no longer have the power to motivate employees, with collaboration, authenticity, transparency and inclusivity now the order of the day.  Instead of wielding either carrot or stick, recognizing employee contributions in specific, meaningful ways – which are not necessarily monetary – will promote a consistent and true belief and value system which both manager, and staff, will be willing to champion.

References:

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H Pink, 2009
• Anj Vera, founder and CEO of Manila-based employer branding firm TalentView
• Lisa Lai, Motivating Employees is not About Carrots or Sticks, Harvard Business Review, June 2017