Imagine that you have just pitched a groundbreaking idea to your employees. You are positive that the idea will catapult your company to great heights. If the enthusiastic proposal receives only tired nods and subdued approvals, it is time to stop and reflect. Chances are that your company has become ground zero for very negative work culture. A deep inspection may reveal that there has been increased absenteeism, conflicts, and lack of productivity in your employees. There may be a significant lack of diversity in your company and a huge spike in customer complaints. These are immediate symptoms of toxic work culture on a roll. To save your company from plummeting, you must intervene and address the situation. While it can be a slow, gradual and demanding process, it will certainly be a worthwhile investment to make. Read on to discover how to change a negative work culture.
- Identify the Issues:
Once you discover a negative trait reigning over many of your employees, probe further to uncover other behaviors and attitudes that are doing your company harm. A tendency to overlook deadlines, to bully, to argue, to discriminate are grave issues that need immediate redressal. You must also be wary of any form of favoritism at work in the company. Favoring a particular gender or community can bring in a huge imbalance in the company structure and will stifle diversity. Moreover, an increased number of employees leaving the job can be deemed a red flag. Lastly, a spike in customer complaints and a general lack of satisfaction are also issues to watch out for.
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- Identify the Cause:
No company will thrive with discouraged, burnt-out employees. Hence, the discovery of negative work culture must be immediately followed by efforts to locate the root cause of such a culture. Most often, the issue begins at the management level itself. A lack of supportive, understanding management can cause negative work culture to breed. If the management is aggressive, demanding, and unsympathetic to the issues of the employees, it will certainly dispirit your staff. Additionally, skewed policies that tend to favor a particular gender or ethnic group will invite discontent. A lack of communication channels or the absence of a proper payment system can also allow negative work culture to thrive.
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- Begin by Addressing Flaws in Leadership:
Starting by bringing changes to the leadership of a company can be very reassuring to the employees. It will immediately foster positive changes in the company. The top-level management of the company must house individuals with exceptional leadership skills. They must be able to lead by example and motivate employees to give their best. Employees must be treated as assets, not as means for profit. The management must not be biased and must embrace inclusive, healthy values as fundamental to the company. Such changes must certainly be made before working down the power structure and addressing other issues.
- Revise your Policies:
A company’s policies and proceedings are clear reflectors of what the company stands for. Unbiased, non-discriminatory policies that encourage a healthy working environment must be put in place. Having a well-defined policy structure is crucial to ensure that the company always stays true to its guiding values. These policies must be regularly revisited and updated or revised as necessary. Equally important is to make sure that each of your employees is well aware of the policies of the company. Arranging orientation sessions before hiring a potential employee and giving training sessions to existing employees will help ensure that your staff moves ahead with a kindred spirit.
- Reevaluate your Hiring Process:
Having the wrong people on board can be an essential root cause of negative work culture. People who do not align with the company’s vision and policies must not be inducted into the company. Moreover, the company’s induction process should look for and test a candidate’s soft skills and hard skills. Most often than not, an employee with an exceptional skill-set can be a poor team worker or a reluctant learner. Such an employee will be a burden to the company and can negatively affect the work culture.
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- Communicate:
Employees must be granted the provision of engaging in active two-way conversations with the employer. A channel for communication is necessary to do away with any tensions or conflicts that may arise between an employee and the management. Moreover, provisions to leave anonymous feedback must be ensured.
- Appreciate:
Acknowledging and appreciating the value an employee adds to your company must be timely acknowledged and duly appreciated. Ensuring that employees are paid in proportion to their company contribution is crucial to fostering a positive work culture. Providing increments, necessary leave, and having redressal cells are all necessary components to be ensured in a company.
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- Provide Corporate Training:
Seeking the help of professionals to evaluate and improve your company’s work culture can be extremely helpful. Corporate training will include personality development training which will benefit the company and its employees greatly. Approaching the top corporate coach of India can be decisive in reversing the negative work culture for the best.
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Such professional interference, along with the management’s active reflection on changes that have begun to take shape in the company will help maintain a positive work culture. Patiently investing in the above-mentioned tips will certainly answer the dilemma of how to change negative work culture.