This document discusses a looming culture crisis facing companies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies four forces eroding company culture: fatigue and burnout rising among employees, a growing misalignment between employer and employee expectations, resistance from employees returning to the workplace full-time, and a misunderstanding of changing employee expectations. The forces are exacerbating fragility, disconnect, and disengagement at a time when companies need strong cultures and engagement to rebound from the pandemic. The document proposes using a culture assessment survey and guidance from engagement experts to help companies understand, communicate with, and take targeted action to bolster their cultures and avoid a "culture crisis."

1. THE LOOMINGCULTURE CRISIS
28Jan. Webinar

3. HOUSEKEEPING

4. Agenda
• Thelooming culture crisis
• Its four elements
• An elegant solution

5. A newcrisis is looming, and many leaders are overlooking
it…
Forces threatening company culture have been set in motion by the Covid-19 pandemic,
creating unique threats that imperil the ability of businesses to successfully rebound in
2021.

6. The looming culture crisis
• Retaining clients
• Preserving cash
• Securing loans and financing
• Shifting teams to workingat home
• Adapting on-premisesworkersto Covid protocols
• Etc.
Leadershavebeen puttingtheirtime andenergy intonavigating theCovid crisis fromabusiness
perspective:
Mosthaven’tbeenthinkingaboutitfromanemployeeperspective!

7. Meanwhile, employees are fragile and company
culture is stressed…

8. The Covid Trap is in full effect.
• The‘commonenemy’that united teams in2020has lost its power
as the pandemic wears on.
• Covid gave people a purpose to unite,creating record levels of
employeeengagement
• ANDa false sense of securityfor leaders!

9. Now we’rein Lockdown2.0 (or is it 3.0?)
• 2020was hardand the next few months aren’tgoing
to beanybetter
• Workingfrom homeis even worse in thewinter!
• Loneliness and isolation are setting in
• They’restuck inside
• Mental health is a rising issue
“Thehomestretchwillbelongandperhapstakea
greatertollonourprofessionalandpersonallivesthan
weexpectitto.”
“HowtoLeadWhen YourTeamisExhausted - andYou Are,Too” HarvardBusiness
Review,2020

10. Don’t have a Dick Francis moment!

11. Falling at the final hurdle is avoidable
• Cultureis eroding at companies worldwide rightnow.
• Employeeengagement and performanceare diminishing -just as we’re approaching the brinkof recovery
Businesses, havingexpended so muchtimeandeffort are jeopardising alltheir workoverthelast nine
months
But if they don’t act to bolster employeeengagement, they risk wasting that work, and falling at the final hurdle -derailing their plans. For some
businesses, this will be their last mistake.
Don’thaveaDickFrancismoment!

12. THE FOUR FORCES OFTHE
CULTURE APOCALYPSE

13. The four forces eroding culture today
• FATIGUE: Rising burnoutand exhaustion, leading to employee
fragility,
• MISALIGNMENT: Rapidly growing misalignment between
employersand employees,
• RESISTANCE:Disconnect aroundreturningto the workplace,
• MISUNDERSTANDING:Employee expectations have
dramatically changed.
COMPANY
CULTURE

14. Fatigue & burnoutare on the rise
The hallmarks of burnout:
• Feelings of energydepletion orexhaustion;
• Increasedmentaldistance from one’sjob, or feelings of negativism or cynicism
related to one's job; and
• Reduced professional efficacy.
Whentime offdoesn’trefreshemployees, theymaybeburnedout,andthatis more
serious.
It’snotaboutthepeople. It’sabouttheworkplace.
“Burnout signs have
risen 33% in 2020.”
-LinkedIn’sGlint

15. Employee/employer
expectations are misaligned
Initially supportive, employees now see things differently:
• Theyhavebeen workinghard, and at greater personal riskin some cases, throughoutthe pandemic
• For manybusinesses, results of those efforts havepaid off interms of revenueand business results
Manycompaniesadoptednecessaryausteritymeasuresatthe beginning ofthepandemic,curbingpayraisesandhaltingbonuses
andotherperks.
Butthereisadisconnectandwithoutalignment,yourbest
employees willleave.

16. Growing resistance to returning
to the workplace
• Some have developed strong preferences for remote work,
• Others likethe idea of a hybridschedule, combiningdays inthe office with
WFH,
• Andsome may need to continueremote work out of necessity.
Employeespreferencesvarywidely concerningreturning totheworkplacefull-time.
Ifyoucan’tfindawaytomakethenewnormalworkforyouremployees,theywill findawaytomake
itworkelsewhere.

17. Misunderstanding changing
employeeexpectations
• Employers CANmake big changes, and quickly,shifting to WFH and flexible work models.
• Leaders can prioritise employees’ health and wellbeing, makinghugechangesto workplaces, service models, etc.
• Organisations can focus on employee engagement, with leaders makingextra efforts to communicateand connectwith their teams.
Thepandemichasproven:

18. Misunderstanding changing
employee expectations
• Employees will expect thesechanges to be permanent,
• Understandingand keeping stride with evolving expectations will makeor break companies’ ability to retain and attract top talent,
• Employeeengagement drivers are evolving rapidly. Top of mind for 2021:
• “A sense of belonging”
• Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Support for employeemental health.
The ongoing challenges forleaders:

19. The remedy…
to prevent a culture crisis now, and
inoculate against one in future

20. You can choose to take control back
from the pandemic
• Acceptance. Thereneeds to be acceptance first from yourleaders that these issues arereal and could exist inthe firm.
• Understanding the truth.
• Communicating what matters.
• Action whereit will makea real difference.
CHOOSE to take controlback!
To avoid a Dick Francis moment, and havea business that can thrive moving forward youneed to go throughtheprocess of:

21. Our culture crisis vaccination
• Accept: Thiswebinar, and our newwhite paper (coming on5 February)
• Understand: FreeBenchmarkAssessment Survey+ Covid CultureCheckmodule
• Communicate: Secure, confidential, anonymous,two-way communication
provided by our platform
• Act: With our guidance and expertise, leaders can take targeted action.

22. We’ve already had a year ofnasty, unexpected
surprises.
Do youreallywant more?

23. What to do next:
• Current clients: Tellyour EngagementManager if youwould liketo
use the Covid CultureChecksurvey.
• Youcan field it to employees as a stand-alone surveyoradd it to your next Benchmark. (Available week of 8 Feb)
• Non-clients: Claim yourfreeBenchmarkAssessment + Covid CultureCheck
module via the link we are sharing right now.
• Wewill also send youthe linkvia email
freeoffer.engagementmultiplier.com/cc