People Dynamics Newsletter - People Matters
Issue 38, April 2008 | Back to Newsletters Index
PD News
March was a whirlwind month, shortened by this year’s early Easter and the Labour Day holiday. However, plenty was packed in with Laura presenting to a number of groups in NSW, Queensland, WA and here in Melbourne. Notes from Laura’s Sydney presentation, ‘Effectively Manage Your People’ can be obtained by calling our office.
In this issue, we look at the next in our series of the AIM ‘Top Six’ concerns that managers have with the fourth instalment: company culture. (C. Sheedy, Management Today, July 2007)
Issue #4: Culture Shock
Company culture is perhaps the most important key in ensuring staff satisfaction, retention and productivity. For this reason, it is vital that businesses spend quality time establishing and maintaining a culture which reflects their values as a company and promotes a positive working environment.
The culture of any business will depend on the values that key members of the company share and promote. These values should always be articulated in a form which is meaningful and relevant to staff. A key to achieving this is to include staff in the formation of a set of values and to ensure the values are displayed openly, referred to often and lived by all employees and managers.
Conversations around values can be held and used in team discussion, performance feedback and dealings with clients.
Although important, dedication, productivity and achieving goals should be kept in perspective with personal needs when deciding on values. A strong work ethic does not rule out values such as fun and humour, which are more likely to increase staff morale and productivity than distract from the tasks at hand.
Company culture is lived by the group and the focus should be on team collaboration. This means including staff members in important matters affecting them such as recruitment and also providing opportunities for staff to build relationships both on the job and in less formal settings, such as office get-togethers.
Staff should feel they are appreciated, supported and an important part of a team. Providing the framework for a positive company culture and carefully nurturing it will ensure that staff and management are happier, more enthusiastic and more productive.
People Dynamics specialises in assisting businesses to build a positive culture and set of values through interactive workshops. Please contact us for further details.
Legal Update
Are your employment contracts comprehensive enough? A sound employment contract should include not only the details of all entitlements but also all legal matters relating to the company, such as privacy / confidentiality policies, termination of employment, bullying and harassment policies and any other policies central to the business.