Blog #154: If you recognise this (or not), it tells you something about your company culture 😲😤- 5 to do's for a positive company culture 🤗

'Stop sighing," my colleague told me 😲. We were sitting in an open-plan office. He told me to stop. No questions were asked about what was going on. I was going through a traumatic divorce. My son was in preschool and my daughter was in the nursery. A corporate job full of stress and challenging targets.

I was convinced that I should not complain. I carefully separated my personal life from my professional life. 

Yeah, right 😤. 

No one ever asked me where these sighs came from... They were not there before...

No worries. We are now more than 10 years later and I am doing fine 😊. But I still remember that moment. I will never forget it. 

It says a lot about the culture I worked in. 

Important remark: that colleague was (and probably is) a kind person. The context, the culture, made him react like this.

A culture that is solely result & performance-driven, and goal-oriented might lose the human connection...

Your culture drives your employer brand. 

Is it on your website?:

💻...'People are our most important asset'? OR 

💻...'a company where every employee feels welcome'? OR 

💻... 'we are committed to the career development of our employees'? 

Would you describe your company culture as warm, positive, team-oriented, supportive, engaging, motivating, ...? Or something similar? 

A friend in need is a friend indeed. This also applies to employers: employers can show that they care when their employees are in need. Many of your employees are 'in need'. Many of your job candidates are 'in need'. 

They may be under stress, mourning the death of a relative or friend, battling mental illness, going through a divorce, recovering from illness, or having financial problems... to name but a few. 

What can you do other than tell your employee to stop sighing? How can you give life to the culture you describe on your website? What can you do to support your candidates/employees who are 'in need' (even if they don't tell you they are)?

1. Connect as quickly as possible on a personal level

We are all social beings, connecting is showing that you care. That makes a difference, any small gesture of personal connection helps.

Example: For candidates: learn the first name immediately, pronounce it correctly and spell it correctly... I smile every time a person spells my name correctly because it does not happen often... 

For colleagues: take them aside and tell them that you notice something is not ok, tell them that you are there for them.

2. Do not judge: self-reflection when you label a situation negatively

Often we see behaviour that we disagree with and we start to make interpretations. 'That's rude or impolite or annoying...' Very judgmental. Self-reflect your thoughts and self-correct any judgements.

Example: people who make noise, such as sighing, even if it annoys you, that person is not doing that to bother you...

3. Ask questions

Behaviour may bother you or you may notice that something is wrong. Don't ignore it, ask questions. Jérémy Kourgias added this to my post yesterday: "If someone's "I'm OK" doesn't seem OK, don't hesitate to ask again "How are you REALLY doing? "Do you want to talk about it in a separate room - just know that I'm there if you need me. Just knowing that someone's there in the case will be a positive note for the person."

4. Listen with an open mind

Active listening skills will come in handy here. Do not play it down when a colleague or stressed candidate confides in you about their feelings.

5. Check back later (in confidence)

Treat your colleague or candidate with respect and integrity. Keep the information confidential. Do not hesitate to check in with the person later. It shows that you care and that means a lot.

This is my 154th blog to inspire you, the talent decision-maker, to attract and retain the talent you need to grow your business now and in the future. Building a positive culture that drives your employer brand is essential for your success.

Now it is your turn. Please answer the following questions:

How do you give substance to your company culture as described on your website? 

Are you ready to delve deeper into this topic? Do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to audit your culture: reality versus intention.

Thank you for reading to the end and I look forward to reading your reactions 🙏.

Sharing is caring, so if you think this newsletter might be useful to others in your network, please feel free to share it with them or tag them below. I appreciate it🙏.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Katherina

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Katherina Swings

An inspiring connector, a multilingual contributor with international (work and life) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR professional with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change manager with business savvy, a creative writer, a certified professional learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a multicultural networker, an active listener...

My vision is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other's strengths. The tagline of my company, Co-Wings, is 'Using everyone's wings to fly 🐦🦅🦋'.

My mission is to support 100,000 leaders worldwide to become (more) inclusive.

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👉🏻👉🏼👉🏽👉🏾👉🏿 Check out my 153 previous blogs. Let me know what you think after you read them!