Today’s rapidly changing world requires business leaders to navigate evolving workplace dynamics with confidence. To be successful, leaders must create an environment where employees of all backgrounds value and appreciate each other as the natural outcome of their interactions.
One fundamental element that has had a significant impact on our success at Insperity is our strong workplace culture. I wrote about it in my book Take Care of Your People, and I stand by it today as a great predictor of business success.
A strong workplace culture improves business outcomes, creates dynamic employee engagement, and cultivates unity within teams and organizations. It drives business results such as individual discretionary effort, team collaboration, innovation, and values alignment. Most importantly, it fosters a sense of belonging for employees.
Our approach to this at Insperity is values-based, people-centric, and culture-driven. These elements provide a roadmap for today’s leaders to connect teams across diverse backgrounds, geographic locations, and work styles while creating a cohesive and inclusive environment. It’s a new way forward that respects the worth of every individual, but it also goes beyond to develop a shared purpose.
Start by reflecting on these 10 guiding questions to assess your workplace culture. These questions are grounded in the desire to find commonality and are the foundation for fostering a greater sense of belonging for your employees.
- Common Worth – Do you place an emphasis on the inherent worth of every person?
- Common Values – Do you establish shared values to support the vision, shape the culture, and provide the basis for each interaction?
- Common Ground – Do you create opportunities for open, honest, and safe communication? Do you work to find common ground to connect the unique experiences of others?
- Common Aspirations – Do you recognize that every person should have the opportunity to make life better for themselves and their loved ones?
- Common Experience – Do you have robust dialogue to learn about others’ points of view, sharing personal experiences until gaining understanding and appreciation for others?
- Common Goals – Do you determine short-, intermediate- and long-term objectives that can measure progress in creating real opportunity for all?
- Common Sense – Do you recognize the realities of human behaviors and establish policies that employees willingly adhere to?
- Common Decency – Do you make treating others with respect a standard operating principle?
- Common Good – Do you create a sense of community that encourages employees to set aside personal benefit for the benefit of others?
- Common Understanding – Do you strive for a level of empathy that will inspire true care and concern and embrace the role each employee plays in unlocking the potential of others?
Our experienced team at Insperity can help you create a strong culture that leads to a more unified workforce where employees of all backgrounds respect and appreciate each other.
Learn more about these guiding questions and approach in my new book, co-authored with Dr. Eli Jones: Making Differences Work – A New Values Based, Culture Driven, People Centric Approach to Achieving Commonality, Equality, Cohesion, and Business Performance.