We hear often from leaders that their organization or group has tried in the past to make positive changes in challenging work environments, but something went awry and transformation wasn’t lasting. Whether a good, enthusiastic effort was made at the start, and over time with challenges arising it fizzled out, or if positive changes had been made but not consistently applied to both leaders and employees (or if new incoming hires hadn’t been trained properly), not everyone is on the same page. In both instances, no real culture change can occur or last. How can this be corrected so that transformation is embedded and sustained?
The VIP Way is nothing new in concept, but it is different in approach. Our process is simple, but consistent, intentional effort must be made for it to truly transform lives and produce long-term sustainable success in the workplace.
Let’s explore a couple of common mistakes leaders or companies can make when trying to affect change in the workplace.
Values need to be more than words hung on a wall
Oftentimes, one of the first things that companies do to create a culture of excellence is to establish a set of company values. This is a piece of our first step in The VIP Way process also. However, well-intended values on a wall mean nothing if your people don’t know how they are defined or are not living them out.
Let’s first take a look at articulating terms. If your team decides that “integrity” is important and that it should be one of the company’s values, how is that defined? What my definition of integrity is may be entirely different from Sue’s in HR. The value words chosen are generic in nature and can mean different things to different people. This is where a lot of organizations go wrong by not clearly articulating what each word means and what it looks like in practice. Leaders must explicitly define and spell out the specific behaviors that demonstrate the values words that your company chooses. Whether it is Joe the CFO or Dana in tech support, what does it look like for everyone in the organization to live those values out?
Once properly defined, values must be lived out by everyone on the team and that starts with leadership. The leaders set the example, and if that is not happening, then it will trickle down throughout the organization. Culture change that lasts has to be a two-way street. Leaders and employees alike must be committed to excellence in both values and work results.
This may not happen overnight, but having regular dialog, measurement, patience and consistency over time, progress will develop. It’s a process that takes intentional time.
Don’t ignore issues (even the small ones), but get awkward early
If something seems off base from these values (even just by a little), address it early. We have this saying that we use when advising leaders: “get awkward early.” It may be a gentle discussion, but you shouldn’t just let concerning behavior slide because silence on issues can result in becoming lax on your values, which derails the mission of the organization. Oftentimes, companies get off track when they ignore actions or behaviors that stray from their values. If you turn a blind eye to issues and wait until something big blows up, it’s not good for your people or the company.
Caring for those entrusted to you
The VIP Way is different. We start by getting to know our people so that these beneficial conversations about values and work results are not cold or awkward. When your people know you care about them, issues can be addressed with genuine care for that person and the organization. If something gets off track, there could be something going on in that person’s life that would be helpful to know and address in the appropriate way. The issue is brought into the light so that a solution to get back on track can be developed with care for the situation. Invest the time to get to know your people. This doesn’t have to be super personal, but if you just know Bob as the guy who cleans the toilets, that is a problem. It could be investing time over lunch or coffee, or just smaller conversations over time in or outside the office where you ask intentional questions to get to know your people beyond what they contribute to the company.
We want to help create lasting positive changes in the workplace. It’s where most people spend the majority of their time. When lives are transformed in the workplace, they are also impacted outside the workplace, when people are with their families and friends. That’s our heart in the matter. To learn more about The VIP Way and starting a movement within your company, consider attending our free webinar on Friday, Feb. 28 that details the four core steps that make up a healthy work environment.
Register here (make link live).
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