1.
“The Times They Are a-Changin”
My Top 5 Realities of Corporate Culture
Industry experts have differing opinions on the realities of today’s corporate culture,
but one thing crops up over and over again: change.
In my experience, change is inescapable. And the way that leaders deal with change
— ifthey deal with change at all — is the difference between failure and success.
One of the biggest changes recently?The demand for healthy, productive culture
is coming from the bottom up.
CEOs and leaders have understood for years that there is a real ROI when they align
their organizational environment with their business strategy. Over 20 years of
research studies document this value. Leaders know and feel the urgency around
corporate culture.Dysfunctional executive alignment and low employee
engagement mean that your competitors are going to outperform you.
2. Now, CEOs aren’t the only ones with culture on their minds.Employees,
customers, and key stakeholders are demanding a healthy and productive culture
at work. Without it, they’re not interested in staying with your company, especially in
the case of the burgeoning Millennial workforce. High turnover, customer retention
issues, low employee engagement, inability to hire high-caliber employees — these
are all consequences when your stakeholders aren’t satisfied with your culture.
The Top 5 Realities of Corporate Culture aren’t a revelation. Most leaders
understand the value of engaging with and addressing these realities.
But the consequences of ignoring them? Those have become even more profound.
Top 5 Realities of Corporate Culture
1. A healthy, high-performing culture is a differentiator in today’s market, and
fully-aligned culture is the ultimate competitive edge.
2. Aligning people and strategy cultivates successful leadership, increases
organizational effectiveness, and creates value for clients and employees
alike.
3. Attracting and retaining the right people isn’t just a matter of finding the right
skillset, but finding a fit with company culture.
4. Having the power to respond to company culture is just as important as a
strong business strategy, because they both impact your bottom line.
5. It’s not about you as the leader: it’s about your employees, customers and
stakeholders.
These realities are a wake-up call for leaders: addressing and cultivating your
culture is a strategic, necessary choice. When your employees, customers, and
stakeholders are talking about it, you should be too.And while it can feel difficult
to grasp, tools like the Performance Harmony process allow you to quantify,
understand, and cultivate change.
The first step? Embrace the change. Never have Bob Dylan’s lyrics been more
noteworthy:
Your old road is rapidly agin'
So get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
Come gather 'round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
3. Accept it soon, you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin', you could sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin'
Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters, beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
So get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
Wishing you the highest performance,
Michael Holland
Co-founder
Performance Harmony
Performance Harmony is a business performance consulting company. We work with
executive teams and leaders to help them solve business problems; enabling them to
drive high level performance and create value within their organizations.
www.performanceharmony.com
