Author of
The Gauntlet
Leaders own culture. As organizations continue to emerge from a disorienting, multi-year disruption, many leaders are discovering that their company culture has eroded, and they need to rebuild it.
Pre-covid work communities are fractured, challenging you to define new working norms and expectations that enable team trust and collaboration to grow in accordance with core values. Teams need some in-person time together, and with you, to share stories and ideas, exchange perspectives and rekindle relationships. A distinctive energy is generated when teams gather in person.
Authentic appreciation is a proven means to reignite culture. It’s effective because its most immediate benefit is boosting the trust within your team. Trust is restorative.
When a team trusts that they are valued, collaboration and confidence grow. Teams act with assurance to take responsibility, to implement strategy, to challenge the status quo, and to invest time and energy in delivering improvements through innovation and your proactive change initiatives. Individual and team performance improves, as does job satisfaction. The culture that enabled your company’s progress is strengthened.
As their leader, you set the tone with your example, using tactics like these:
1. Express appreciation regularly. Defining ‘regularly’ varies by work setting, the frequency of interaction between coworkers, and the nature of the relationship. But it certainly needs to happen with individuals and teams more often than once or twice during a performance review. Where activity occurs quickly, immediately acknowledge a team’s or an employee’s improved performance and/or behavior, expressing appreciation for the progress that’s been made. Share a letter from a satisfied customer, or post appreciation for a team’s accomplishments.
2. Recognize individuals in a personal manner. Leaders have few responsibilities more important than building trust relationships with their people; without this, there can be no progress. Individuals want to know that you value them for their specific efforts, on a personal level. Not everyone feels appreciated in the same ways. Some value praise or a reward, while others feel more valued when their leader spends time with them, or when being asked to collaborate with their colleagues to make something better. Be deliberate in noticing and remembering what your people value in appreciation.
3. Be authentic when expressing appreciation. Your tone, voice, posture and facial expression tell your people if you believe what you’re saying, if your message is authentic. A generic “great job” won’t get it done. Take time to prepare your recognition message to ensure that it expresses your genuine and personal appreciation. Share success stories, and encourage others to share theirs to learn from others’ successes. Set the expectation that recognition will be part of everyone’s responsibilities, and train your people to express authentic appreciation.
Start with a small step – start somewhere, today, with someone. Commit to doing what you can to express your authentic appreciation to those you lead. It’s the proven first step for rebuilding culture and accelerating progress.
How will you rebuild your culture?
