Culture Over Coffee
Culture Over Coffee
Culture Snapshot: Building Lasting Engagement Beyond 2024
Today, in this Culture Snapshot episode, we’re bringing our coverage of ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report to a close by spending a few minutes to consider what this year’s findings tell us about the immediate future of company culture and employee engagement.
By the end, I think you’ll see that when your employees engaged they will remain steadfast to your organization, maximize their talents, and reach their full potential.
LINKS:
ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report
Beth Sunshine
Up Your Culture
Hello and welcome to Culture Over Coffee, a podcast focused on improving company culture and fostering employee engagement. Every week, we chat with experts and thought leaders about the latest information and proven practices you can use to reduce regrettable turnover, increase productivity on your team and retain key customers. So pour a cup of your favorite brew and join us. I'm your host, beth Sunshine, svp at Up your Culture and the Center for Sales Strategy. Today, in the Culture Snapshot episode, we're bringing our coverage of ENGAGE 2024: The company culture report, to a close by spending a few minutes considering what this year's findings have told us about the immediate future of company culture and employee engagement. By the end, I think you'll see that when your employees are engaged, they will remain steadfast to your organization, maximize their talents and reach their full potential. Thank you for tuning in to the Culture Over Coffee podcast this season, as we talked with culture experts and engagement specialists to break down all that we've learned from Engage 2024. It was fascinating to take a peek inside US businesses today, learn what's happening behind the scenes, hear a little bit about company leaders and how they can use this insight to increase employee engagement and company performance. I hope you enjoyed it. The bottom line is that only 55% of those surveyed are engaged at work, and that means a lot of people going back to that company campfire image. A lot of people are kicked back, they're checked out. Even worse, they may be actively working against the growth of your organization. Also, we know that disengagement in the workplace is contagious, which is why it's really important to pay attention to it, and it's concerning to learn that 86% of people surveyed work side by side with people who are actively disengaged. I just imagine how that can bring down energy, morale, productivity. It's clear that we need to turn this engagement lane slide around so that our people want to come to work, so that they're more productive when they do come to work. And hopefully, this season gave you a lot of ideas that you can use. When you create a thriving culture, you can engage your teams and grow your business.
Beth Sunshine:Now, I know that sounds simple and it is straightforward, but it is most definitely not easy. In fact, this is kind of a shocking number, but only 15% of organizations are successful at changing their culture 15%. So you have to ask yourself why do almost 9 out of 10 organizations fail? And I found a few common reasons that I wanted to share with you. One reason why many organizations fail is that they jump into their change initiative too quickly without spending the necessary time to plan the steps. You know to think about what will be most critical to success. It takes a really good strategic plan to make any kind of lasting change. The second reason that organizations often fail is that engagement and fun are often confused and, in an effort to increase engagement, leaders they mean well, but they're misguided. They do things like roll in a ping pong table or stack the break room with donuts, and those are things that might make employees happy, at least for the short run, but they don't boost engagement, and I wanted to give you an example that I think will illustrate this for you.
Beth Sunshine:Not that long ago, I was looking for a gift and I walked into a local boutique. I was hoping to find something perfect. The boutique was stocked and they had tons of merchandise. It was actually a bit overwhelming. The longer I shopped, the more overwhelmed, confused I felt. I wasn't sure what direction to go in with this gift, and as my frustration increased, I couldn't help but notice there were two employees standing behind the counter. They were looking at one of their phones, they were talking and laughing and as I walked out I realized they probably didn't even notice I'd left.
Beth Sunshine:Now they are a great example of happy employees After work. If someone had asked them about their day, they probably would have told them it was great, even though they were not highly productive. They failed to drive sales or increase customer loyalty. They were happy at work. Their job did not capture their hearts and minds, at least not that day, the day that I was there, and that hurt business. There's a really big difference between creating fun or happiness, which is good, but it's different than creating employee engagement.
Beth Sunshine:Now, the third reason that I see culture initiatives fail is that they're treated like fat, and I think this is probably the most common one. I find. Even with the best of intentions, they're implemented with lots of passion, lots of fanfare, and then they're forgotten about when times get too busy or too challenging. Effective change is actually quite difficult, and it takes a common, concerted effort over time. So how can you create a spark that will grow over time? How will you be able to turn it into a roaring fire? You need to have a proven plan for success. You need to focus on the right things and remain consistent for the long haul, even when it doesn't feel so fun anymore.
Beth Sunshine:Now where do you start? I'd begin by creating a strong shared mission that you can build on as you move forward. I'd start by working with your leadership team to identify and define your core values. I recommend three to five core values, but that's not you know. It's up to you. Those core values will serve as your North Star.
Beth Sunshine:Once your core values are set, you'll have a much more cohesive culture. You'll be able to make decisions. You'll be able to take actions that you know your organization values. You can recognize the actions that you know your organization values. You can recognize the behaviors that align with your core values when you see them in the workplace and refuse to tolerate those that don't. Once you get those set in stone, you'll be ready to identify your reason for being, which is kind of your purpose statement. You'll be able to focus on your vision.
Beth Sunshine:All of the other aspects of a strong shared mission, but core values, I'd say that's probably job number one and a good place to start. Also, once you've sparked your campfire, just remember it. Takes consistent care to prevent the flames from dwindling one at a time. Continue to establish strong habits surrounding your culture and, before you know it, everyone on your team will be positively contributing to the fire. Thanks so much for spending time with us on Culture Over Coffee. If you've enjoyed the conversation, be sure to subscribe and join us for every episode. For more helpful information on the topics of company culture and employee engagement, visit us at upyourculturecom. Thank you.
