Assessing Your Workplace Culture: Where is Your Workplace Culture on the Culture Mojo Scale?
Here are some questions to mull over as you ponder how you might define your workplace culture and assess where your culture currently sits on the culture mojo scale.
What are your unwritten rules that guide everyone’s behaviors?
This is a question that can reveal hidden assumptions and uncomfortable truths. You might have unwritten rules about how ideas get passed up the chain, how failure is treated, or how employees interact with certain managers over others.
What do veteran employees tell the new kids on the block?
At the end of their first week, your new employee grabs a coffee or beer with some of the veterans, and grizzled old-timer Bob pulls out a pipe and says, “Hey kid, let me tell you what’s really going on around here. I’ve seen things. Things I can’t unsee.”
Ideally you want everyone (especially the seasoned veterans) saying great things about your workplace culture and you want to have your pulse on what the experienced employees are feeling and saying to your green employees.
Are employees raving ambassadors for your company?
One of the first questions we all get asked out in the wild is, “How’s work going?” Through their answers, your employees constantly reflect and shape your reputation and brand in your community. They’re also a powerful recruitment funnel for new employees, so the ultimate litmus test comes down to one question. Would your employees recommend your company as a great place to work to their best friend or a family member?
Do you match your hype?
Hop over to your website right now and have a gander at the “About Us” or career section. I bet it says your company is pretty darn awesome – the kind of workplace that is so fabulous employees spontaneously break into song and dance. But are you really living up to the values you say you espouse? Do you match your hype in your recruitment ads? What if your front line employees wrote your recruitment ads or “About Us” section in a totally honest way?
If you could describe your current culture and your ideal culture in one word or a short phrase, what word would it be?
This isn’t an easy task, but soliciting feedback from employees with this question and musing it over yourself can be extremely insightful. If you can’t distill it down to one word, what slogan might best capture the essence of your culture? The company 1-800-Got-Junk, for example, uses the phrase “Blame-free culture” as a rallying cry to capture their most important cultural norm.
What’s your cultural advantage?
What makes you different from your nearest competitor? I’m not talking about pay, perks, or ping pong tables. What is your workplace culture advantage that makes you the place employees want to work, and customers want to spend their hard-earned dollars?
These questions are taken from my book (with my permission of course), “Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results.” (If you are serious about ramping up your workplace culture mojo then I cannot recommend this book enough. Yes, I wrote it so I am a tad biased, but even if I didn’t write it I’d still be recommending it because it’s just that good!)
And what do you think? I’d welcome your ideas and thoughts? What question have you asked, or what have I missed?
Michael Kerr is a Hall of Fame speaker, trainer, and the author of nine books. Michael speaks about workplace culture, culture leadership, and businesses that leverage their humor resources to drive extraordinary results. Michael’s books include, “Small Moments, Big Outcomes;” “The Jerk-Free Workplace;” and “The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank.” To schedule a call with Michael to find out how he can help you or your team get the results you want and deserve, schedule a call here!
