- Create a dedicated “Culture Squad” that includes employees at all levels and across departments to look at initiatives that will shift your culture.
- Hold a yearly culture boot camp re-energizer day to reinforce your cultural values and norms.
- Hold a “culture pitch day” every four to six months where employees or teams can pitch ideas that will improve your culture. You can put the best ideas to an employee-wide vote and/or award prizes for the most creative or impactful suggestions.
- Create monthly culture themes to have everyone focus intensely on one aspect of your workplace culture each month. For inspiration for monthly theme ideas, pop over to Monthly Culture Themes.
- Create a 3-in-3 challenge where teams are encouraged to implement three ideas over the course of three months to improve your culture.
- Hold a “values blitz” where you have everyone model one value per week as intensely as possible to demonstrate what’s possible and to turn your values into action.
- Use the Wheel of Change framework every quarter: What is one thing everyone needs to commit to KEEP doing; one thing everyone needs to START DOING or CREATE; what is one thing everyone needs to STOP doing that will help you shift your culture?
- Open and close meetings with a “culture moment” where you share examples of your desired cultural norms and values in action and recognize employees for living your values out loud.
- Create three rituals or traditions that will help you strengthen your workplace culture. For inspiration: Workplace Rituals and Traditions.
- Send out a question of the week to employees to check the pulse of your employees on various work-related topics.
- Create a minimum of three fun recognition awards that link directly to your cultural norms and values. For inspiration: Fun Workplace Awards.
- Hold daily team huddles as a checkpoint and chance to reinforce values and cultural norms. Daily huddles are held standing up (no chairs allowed or they become a meeting); same time; same place; set agenda; five to ten minutes long.
- Create a contest for teams to bring your cultural norms, your vision/mission and or your values to life in a creative video that can ultimately be used to promote your culture on your website and for use when on-boarding and training new employees.
- Create fun milestones and celebrate your progress with key culture initiatives.
- Infuse your workplace with more fun! As the saying goes, “Work made fun gets done!” Humor is a key ingredient when it comes to creating a psychologically safe workplace culture; it helps build a more positive workplace culture AND it reflects a positive workplace culture.
16. Sign your team up to the Culture Leadership Online Academy! 12 video-based modules, eBooks, and resources all designed to help you shift your culture and to build a more collaborative, inspiring, innovative, service-focused and FUN workplace!
Michael Kerr is a Hall of Fame speaker who travels the world researching, writing, and speaking about inspiring workplace cultures, inspiring leadership, and humor at work. He is the author of 8 books, including The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses are Laughing All the Way to the Bank, The Jerk-Free Workplace, and Hire, Inspire, and Fuel Their Fire: How to Recruit, Onboard, and Train new Employees to Live Your Culture Out Loud!
To see how Michael can help energize your workplace book an appointment here!