Just take a look at the world! Everything is changing at an incredible rate. The impact of technology, the impact of changing needs, the impact of the economy, pandemics, wars… It is difficult for organisations to maintain competitive advantage and grow over time due to rapid change, intense competition and increasing market complexity. In this fast-paced environment, it is even more critical for organisations to increase the agility of their business processes and decision-making capabilities to solve problems faster, accelerate innovation and reduce time to launch products and services. This is why on-going cultural assessment and analysis is so important.
What does cultural analysis offer?
Understanding culture provides two types of benefits. Firstly, cultural insight tells you whether people are ready to accept change; secondly, cultural assessment enables you to identify the root causes of problems that prevent higher performance. This awareness and understanding reduces the barriers to change that negatively impact people.
The steps you take as a result of a proper cultural assessment will help you achieve the following goals:
Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction
It is probably the dream of every company in the world that employee values are perfectly aligned with organisational values. This alignment results in employees participating enthusiastically in their work and deriving satisfaction from it. When they feel valued and supported at work, they naturally invest more in their tasks and projects. Having a workforce that passionately contributes to the shared success of the organisation accelerates productivity, profitability, growth and the pursuit of vision.
Optimised organisational performance:
Think of your organisation as a harmonious, smooth-running machine. The steps you take following a culture assessment and the positive work culture you create play an important role in that harmony. With a good assessment, you can identify how your current culture is hindering performance and make the necessary changes. These changes mean a range of improvements, from communication channels and collaboration practices to leadership styles and performance appraisals. The benefits are increased productivity, a great customer experience and, of course, financial performance.
Reducing employee turnover costs:
High employee turnover rates mean resource depletion and downfall for any organisation. A culture assessment can identify the root causes of turnover. With this assessment, you can implement strategic changes that directly address the issues. The result is a reduction in turnover and significant financial savings over time. Retaining skilled and motivated employees saves resources and time; they are the foundation of a stable and thriving business environment.
Cultural analysis or assessment is an internal process through which an organisation can assess its overall workplace culture. It aims to analyse the organisation’s expectations, experiences, philosophy, mission and values that drive behaviour. With the results of this assessment, leaders can make conscious future decisions about culture and, if necessary, make changes to strengthen the organisation as a whole.
Here are seven basic steps to cultural analysis:
1.
Management teams must be involved!
Never underestimate the role of management teams in shaping and changing culture and their impact on a positive or negative culture; and ensure that they buy into the process wholeheartedly. Any cultural moves that are not strongly supported by senior management are doomed to failure. Management teams must be willing to gain a thorough understanding of the existing culture and be prepared to confront the data from the assessment, however challenging it may be.
2.
Choose your vehicle: Look for answers to the “what” and “why” questions.
Many culture assessment methods tell you ‘what’ culture is. That is, what your culture looks like, what people do, what has happened over the years… This is useful information, but you also need the ‘why’. The ‘why’ is important because it tells you the source of people’s behaviour. It helps you understand the underlying belief systems that drive the culture. It is not enough to understand what is happening, you need to know why; only then can you take the right action.
3.
Touch as many people as possible!
One of the main causes of cultural erosion is the formation of subcultures over time. These subcultures are sometimes created by a strong leader and sometimes by working in divided locations. It is important that the assessment covers all potential subcultures. Include all levels of the organisation and start with as large a sample as possible.
4.
Rely on data, not intuition!
Talking, making predictions, getting summarised information from operational managers, sending simple questionnaires… Yes, you may get a little ahead in this way, but it is not the way to get the results you are looking for. Today, when technological possibilities are so rich, your evaluation tool is of great importance. This is the era of data, and making data-driven decisions is very important for the companies of the future.
5.
Be bold in data analysis!
Analysing the collected data is one of the most important steps. Data analysis should be unbiased and free of assumptions. If you really want to analyse the results, make sure you build a team that is open, accountable and willing to face the facts while digging deep into the data.
6.
Keep the communication channels open!
It is important to create an open dialogue about what you are doing and why.
Conducting a culture assessment and not sharing the results with participants often lead to a loss of trust. This loss of trust creates obstacles when it comes to taking action.
7.
Take action!
No assessment is worthwhile if it ends in a failure to act. Take action on the positive results of cultural analysis. Data-driven action is a solid bridge that will carry you into the future.
Moodivation’s response to the culture analysis process
When we look at the feedback we receive from Moodivation users, we realise that a positive culture is a must for companies that prefer us. Moodivation users use data in all management processes, from DEI applications to exit decisions, from leadership to orientation. This consistent analysis environment prevents surprises and creates the opportunity for continuous improvement. Healthy employee feedback is the foundation for a sustainable positive culture.
We would be delighted to talk to you in more detail about the culture analysis process and our services. Please feel free to contact us at any time.