Business context and drivers
Our international client, with HQ in the USA, was experiencing cultural issues within the local country office. There were huge gaps between perceptions and expectations of some of the senior management team and the junior team leaders and staff. It was reported by junior leaders that some of the senior leadership was perceived as creating a toxic culture rather than allowing them space to grow and have a contributory voice. Recognising the different attitudes to leadership, the Manging Director wanted to discuss ways of keeping the junior teams motivated to prevent any further costs in replacing unhappy leavers.
Objectives
To reconnect as an organisation, reconnect as people and move forward in a more positive environment where everyone feels safe and valued, by:
- Restoring the culture to be inclusive to all
- Guiding the senior leadership through the steps to restore a positive culture
- Ensuring the junior team felt validated and motivated to stay on
- Preventing the division between staff levels from escalating further and bringing closer together, to reconnect as an organisation.
Our approach
We developed a diagnostic phase, including focus groups, while building psychological safety for all, as well as leaver interviews to understand the rationale behind their decisions to leave.
Following workshops to share the results of this phase and suggest recommendations, subsequent workshops were held to develop a feedback culture. Alongside this we created a framework to enable regular 360 peer feedback.
Having an external facilitator gave the HR team the bigger picture perspective. Both junior and senior leaders were further supported with 1:1 coaching when asked for.
Outcomes
All staff saw the tangible commitment from the organization to ensure measures were in place to foster a healthy company culture. The office created a charter, reflecting their local company values. Through TPCL run workshops, they gained the skills to translate values to behaviours, focussing on meaning and purpose.
Feedback
A lasting effect of the programme was that people dared to speak up more as trust was being restored, ensuring staff felt motivated to commit to their career at the organisation.
To learn more about this case or other interventions of relevance for your organisation don’t hesitate to get in touch
To read more on culture follow the link to an article on Culture as a strategy and how Boards need to engage people written by 4 of TPCL’s managing partners Culture as a strategy – how boards need to engage people in 2020 and beyond – TPC Leadership
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