and Solutions to do Something about it!
Have you ever wondered these three things…
- Why is my turnover so high?
- Why is my retention so low?
- Why am I spending so much time and money hiring and training only to do it all again a few months later?
The truth is…You might have a culture problem.
I know. I’ve been there.
I’ve worked at companies that didn’t value their employees and we had a serious turnover problem, I’m talking people quitting in the middle of the night kind of turnover!
Things like nepotism, quid pro quo and retaliation are culture killers for most companies and even if you are big enough to keep your head above water for a while. It will catch up with you. It’s only a matter of when, not if.
For many companies, a complete overhaul doesn’t make sense and it can be costly but there are small changes that can help.
Solutions that Matter
1. If change is needed
and it probably is…
Don’t make the change on your own. Have employees know that change is coming and how it might affect them before the change is implemented and whenever appropriate have them be a part of the change.
Make sure everyone understands the culture you are building and adjust otherwise. From onboarding to exit interview, the message shouldn’t be muddled. Everyone should know exactly what the mission of the company is and what it means for their individual position.
Tony Hseih, who recently passed away, a tragic loss for his family and the future of Downtown Las Vegas, was a big fan of change. He even wrote about it in his book, “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.”
“Your personal core values define who you are, and a company’s core values ultimately define the company’s character and brand. For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.”
— Tony Hseih
2. Try, try again
It wasn’t perfect and it took several tries but even Tony Hseih, worked at creating the right kind of culture for his organization as a long-term vision. If you’re looking for quick fixes- I don’t know what to tell you. You’ll always be disappointed at the pace of change.
Just like toxic workplaces can take years to develop, excising that toxicity can take twice as long, because we’ve let complacency dominate. We’ve let our guard down and now we are reaping the consequences of that time we didn’t say something about that inappropriate behavior, or spoke out when we saw discrimination much less did something about it.
3. Nothing great, happens overnight.
All overnight successes take 10 years in the making right?
It’s possible to enact change that is pervasive and long-lasting, but it’s going to take dedication, it’s going to take commit and it’s going to fiscal responsibility. No longer can we expect good tidings on bare minimum efforts- it’s impossible. We’re setting up our employees for failure and that’s just continuing the workplace trauma.
There is light at the End of the Tunnel
Imagine, when we get it right?
That’s when we have the visionary, the workplace heroes that create innovation by tuning their culture with purpose and accountability. Developing KPIs and Evaluation markers is all well and good but you always need to come back to them and make sure you’re on the trajectory to make your mark, if not adjust accordingly.
It’s a bit touch and go but by having the vision and making sure to align with that vision and not straying too far from the equitable guidelines you’ve set in place with accountability- that’s music to my ears!
If you’re interested in learning more- let’s connect!
Yours in kind,
