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V2LS: Toward a Better Organizational Culture
It is no surprise that some companies and organizations have cultures which are corrosive, unhealthy and demoralizing to their employees, while others enjoy powerful, positive, uplifting cultures, the kind that possess the sort of emotional Velcro that keeps turnover at healthy, sustainable levels.
This evolutionary journey begins with several components:
Visioning at the top
Culture change must begin at the top, with the leader identifying and clearly articulating their vision (destination) for the organization. This is both an intellectual (left-brained) and emotional (right-brained) encounter in which we interview the leader(s) and help them evoke and then crystalize that vision of the future. The vision defines the “Why?” that guides all decisions and actions.
Setting the expectations
The final step of pre-departure preparation is to outline the “What?” in the form of samples of behavior for each of the values, with an explanation of how these behaviors stem from the Values and lead the organization to the Vision. These are also generated from a series of interviews with and surveys of members of the organization.
Calibrating the compass
Before setting out on the quest to reach the Vision, an organization needs an accurate compass in the form of foundational or core Values. The process of calibrating the compass—articulating the values—involves a series of interviews with and surveys of both the senior leadership and employees. This data will identify both the actual and the aspirational values of the organization, from which we can distill the short list of Values and their descriptive meanings. If the Vision defines the “Why?” then the set of Values defines the “How?” which informs the actions of everyone within the organization.
Sharing the message
With the Vision, Values and Behaviors set, the next task is taking off: Unveiling these foundational tenets to all employees, and teaching them what they mean and how they can be used in building and sustaining the desired culture. This is accomplished through a series of seminars and workshops jointly facilitated by the senior leadership and the V2LS team to generate organizational-wide discussions about their meaning and implementation, and give a common filter through which to view all operational decisions. The result is a synergy of support for “doing the right thing” that mutually reinforces the positive evolution of the culture.