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A majority of organizations struggle to develop an engaging culture. The process of constructing such a culture and the role of leadership in the process is often misunderstood. About 19% of executives feel that their company has the ‘right’ culture. Although a majority of business leaders recognize the role of culture in enhancing their productivity, most of them lack the knowledge concerning what works and what does not. We sat with Joshua M. Evans, a specialist in all matters of corporate culture, to get some tips on building a culture of engagement.
Joshua M. Evans is a specialist in all matters of the corporate culture. He is an organizational engagement specialist, international speaker, and a TEDx programmer. Evans has ten years+ experience in the corporate world. He uses his expertise and knowledge to help organizations clean-up their organizational issues, such as developing the right culture of engagement. Evans has worked with hundreds of companies such as the American Express, ExxonMobil, Landrys, Sheraton, plus many more. He has also traveled the country delivering speeches on issues such as enhancing employee engagement.
Building a Culture of Engagement
A culture of engagement is a culture that promotes employee involvement. It is a culture that fosters enthusiasm for work among its employees and seeks to promote job satisfaction. Developing a culture of engagement is a challenge for businesses across the globe. About 87% of organizations cite struggling to create this form of culture. 50% of top executives cite this issue as a “highly important” challenge. To Evans, he argues that it does not have to be a challenge. “Building a culture of engagement is a matter of going beyond the job descriptions of the employees and communicating a shared aspiration,” he says. “You do not build this culture by sharing your mission and vision statements. Instead, you communicate your aspirations and help your employees see their worth in working towards achieving that common goal.”
The two main aspects of building a culture of engagement are leadership and communication. Evans states that communication is detrimental in forging the right relationship with your employees. Communication is the means through which leadership builds perception. “People view the world through lenses. As a result, you need to ask yourself, are the lenses in which I view the world making the world a better place or a darker place,” he says. This perception, in turn, influences employee engagement. For instance, if you complain about problems or issues that arise instead of perceiving them as a teachable moment, then your employees are likely to be reluctant to engage towards coming up with a solution. The second aspect is leadership. According to Evans, most people are unaware of how they influence others. “You have to be aware of your behavior and how you communicate as a leader. It is because your character in the business plays a role in directing your perceptions,” he says.
Culture and Productivity
A firm’s culture is significantly connected to productivity as a culture not only influences the mindset of individual employees but also contributes towards the construction of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job involvement, and organizational citizenship behavior. Evans helps organizations to build a culture that engages employees intentionally. “When employees care, they get more productive at work. This increased productivity excites your clients and customers because they can see it, and they want to join in on the fun,” he says. So far, Evans has helped hundreds of major, small, and mid-sized companies achieve an average increase of 31% in terms of productivity in less than a year. “A culture of engagement gives firms a competitive advantage as employees are motivated to go the extra mile. They are willing to accomplish more and to speak positively about the organization,” he says.
The Role of the Leader in the Culture
Leadership plays an integral role in the development of the right culture. It is the leader who initiates change and communicates the kind of change he would want to see in the firm. Evans notes that leaders have three main tasks to undertake when building a culture of engagement. These tasks include: managing your team’s influences, creating the right perceptions and aspirations. “A leader needs to assess the existing culture in the organization. He does this by looking at things such as influences. Who or what is influencing your team? In today’s news saturated world employees are engaging in social media. They are also consuming a lot of external and internal communication that may impede the growth of a culture of engagement,” he says. “Therefore, it is up to the leader to be cognizant of how their teams are being influenced,” Evans argues that understanding the influencers is the first step in determining how to control the negative influences. After this, the firm will be in a better position to build up the right communication, perceptions, and aspirations that will, in turn, lead towards building the right culture of engagement.
The right culture has a positive effect on productivity. In today’s competitive environment, developing a culture of engagement is a crucial strategy in ensuring the company survives not only the competition but also boosts its profits. “A business with a culture of engagement is more productive as its employees are solution-focussed and motivated to achieve a common value,” he says.
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