DS Cohen & Associates
In all the years we have done work with the organizations, we have consistently identified one factor as the most important to success – CULTURE. It is the one thing that prevails when a firm is successful. It is sustainable and has the most significant impact on employee retention. Suddenly, everyone has caught on to the importance of leaders committing to living the company values. Whether you refer to it as leading with purpose or character, it all boils down to constantly living one’s values.
M&G Resins USA (M&G) is one of the best examples of what happens when a deeply rooted culture is in place. M&G personifies what happens when you embrace and hold everyone equally accountable and responsible for living the culture.
Jeff Shae, the COO, is very clear on how important living the values is as to the bedrock of the culture.
M&G continues to experience growth obstacles. Soon after embarking on on-site development, the operation had to close. When the construction restarted, employees who moved out of town and secured full employment elsewhere returned to M&G, moving back to Corpus Christi. Many of the returning employees returned for significant pay cuts.
When I learned of people coming back to Corpus Christi for up to a 25% cut in salary, I asked them why. The response was consistent. At M&G, you have a way of working that is consistently predictable. Everyone, regardless of title, lives the values in all interactions and all decisions. As one person stated, “this is the most psychologically safe place I have, in 30 years, ever worked.
One of the positive externalities of the pandemic has been the heightened importance leaders place on company culture and community. A negative work experience results in what is called many things; working to rule, retiring in place, quiet quitting to resignation. But when the culture is embedded in and central to every action and reaction and all decisions, large and small, the employee experience is predictable, and positive retention and productivity are never an issue.
To achieve the culture that makes an organization great is hard work. It is never passive. It is a commitment to ensuring that everyone is accountable and responsible to one another to live the behaviours that define the values.
Attributes of a culture that creates a predictable workplace
What does a culture that engages employees look like? Our experience with our clients outlines ten key attributes:
1. The knowledge that the company values begin with the selection process and is embedded in the onboarding experience.
2. Current employees know the corporate legends that define living the values and share them with new employees.
3. Time is taken during the year for employees to discuss and review the meaning of the values from the perspective of their own personal work experiences.
4. All levels of employees discuss the company values with their teams to reinforce their importance.
5. The hiring and leadership development processes are based on the values.
6. The values are part of the ongoing performance improvement process.
7. Without living the values, an employee will not be promoted to a new position, regardless of how much revenue they generate or the innovation they create.
8. Managers provide one-on-one and in-person acknowledgement to a person who, in a difficult circumstance, still consistently lives the values.
9. Living the values is exemplified by the members of the C-Suite, and the accountability for living the values is everyone’s commitment.
10. Leaders remain in touch and not only listen to employees but engage with employees.
We’ve entered a new world of hybrid and flexible work. In many organizations, this means new capabilities, talent, and skills are needed. But the values, being the source of greatness, remain the same.
Organizations are made up of humans. It is over time that humans come to know and understand their values. A person’s values don’t change because someone in leadership decrees a culture change. The programs and processes that reinforce and strengthen the concept of “living the values” must be built from within the company based on the positive effects of living the values. Since people don’t change their values overnight, no one can expect a corporation to change its values overnight, either.
A healthy culture is a predictable and desirable place to work. There is no one correct value set to establish a strong or ‘good’ culture. In our work, we find the need for a culture change to signify that the company has wavered from its roots. There is no need to change the values, but rather a need to get back to what once made the company great. We call it a back-to-the-future journey to greatness.
A healthy culture is one where the values provide a stable work environment, allowing the employees to quickly embrace new ideas and changes in strategy. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that a strategy change is a culture change. The strategy change will be successful if it ensures everyone continues to behave in alignment with the values. The marketplace and world of work are forever changing. The predictability and celebration of the values make for a positive and safe employee experience.
David S. Cohen is a thought leader on corporate culture & behavioural competencies, author and speaker.
David works with leaders helping them understand what is and is not necessary to build an active and positive organization. David has partnered with firms across five continents and all business sectors. Read the full bio here.
