Review your culture, review my book

If you want to learn more about culture the TV program Undercover Boss can be very instructive. This reality show has been running since 2010 and the format is predictable but entertaining.

A leader, CEO, or boss goes undercover as the new hire in one of the organization's locations and experiences the culture firsthand. Most of them are astounded. There's nothing as instructive as first-hand experience. What looked great from the top down, doesn't play out so well on the shop floor. Lower-level leaders who seemed competent, act differently when they are your supervisor. Information that was sweetened before it reached the top may be sour and bitter on the spot. This is what happens in many organizations because there are so many layers that it's hard to get a good look and feel of what is going on in the culture.

How could you review your culture? Of course, you could ask all staff to complete the OCAI culture survey. Another way is to show up as a normal person, not as if you are your position, and engage with people. You won't immediately get the same candid information as the undercover boss, but as you build trust people will share more information. Combined with your direct observations you might learn a lot, and you build a more positive culture while you do so.

Review your relationships

Building an authentic relationship with your co-workers is one sure way to start developing a positive culture. I discuss this in my book Developing a Positive Culture. There's a ton of research that supports the competitive advantage of human connection at work. There's a business case for caring and compassion, as Jane Dutton and Monica Worline state in their book Compassion at Work.

As Dutton and Worline write: The vast majority of businesses continue to be run by men, based on a very limited set of hypermasculine values, such as domination, aggression, ambition, competition, winning at all costs, short-term thinking, and a zero-sum view of the world. Do you face brutal deadlines, competitive pressure, insensitive management, toxic work cultures, relentless schedules, and demands?

Compassion and relationships, on the other hand, build loyalty and teamwork. It enhances innovation, service quality, collaboration, and adaptability. Compassion contributes to an organization’s financial resilience, profitability, and customer retention after downsizing. Positive organizations exhibit better financial performance and higher employee and customer retention.

Review my book

Of course, that's why I wrote my book and launched the Positive Culture Academy. Building authentic relationships helps to make our days at work more fun and fruitful. I am extremely grateful that Kimberley Barker (PhD, Director, Institute for Culture and Adaptive Leadership) did a video review of my book!

Watch Kim's video review here. 

She says that my book reminded her of Undercover Boss and the power of kindness. She also shares her experience with an employee who was allegedly a thief but turned out to be not guilty. After Kim had his back, he turned out to be an amazing employee! So, here's my request and my challenge for you: Review your culture and rate your relationships. What could you improve?

I also have a request and challenge for you! It's my purpose to develop more positive organizations so people don't suffer at work. You can help me get my book more eyeballs so we can impact more organizations. How? By creating a review!

If you have read my book Developing a Positive Culture where People and Performance Thrive, please submit a customer review on Amazon and let me know! I would be very grateful. You could also do a video review.

What's in it for you? My eternal gratefulness. Your satisfaction that you are a messenger of good news. And: a chance to win free access to the Positive Culture Academy! We will draw one reviewer who can join the curriculum after the summer. Yes, let's start small and go viral. Let's develop more positive cultures at work!

• Review your culture and rate your relationships. What could you improve?
• Review my book on Amazon or Youtube and send me the link. Maybe you'll win access to the Academy!

PS: If you want to contribute to a positive workplace culture, my workshop on Positive Culture Change Leadership is scheduled for September 2018! More information about the Super Saver offer is only a mouse click away.

© Copyright Marcella Bremer, 2018. All rights reserved.