Create your assessment plan based on these 5 questions
Unprecedented disruption in the workplace is creating havoc throughout organizations.
Are you struggling to get a grip on the chaos?
Researchers study it, and journalists write about it, while organizational leaders agonize over it.
As the pandemic continues to challenge and change us, over 40% of people in the workforce report thinking about leaving their jobs. Millions have quit already.
Undoubtedly several factors are at play; however, organizational culture underlies much of the churn in the workplace.
Most realize culture is critical for company survival during these times of constant flux. Yet, the cultural landscape is puzzling at best and downright bewildering to some.
A clear and consistent definition of culture is nonexistent. And the marketplace bombards companies with an array of disparate processes and tools for measuring, developing, or changing it.
No wonder leaders are perplexed.
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However, despite the challenges, you can confidently address the company culture by first developing a solid plan for assessing it based on five key questions.
Question 1: What is Your Why?
Before you take any action, identify your reason for assessing the culture now. Do you have specific concerns? Perhaps problems such as increased turnover or dropping productivity are prompting a closer look at the culture.
Maybe you are trying to decide how to structure work and work teams now as the pandemic begins to subside.
Or possibly you are discovering new opportunities, and you want to know whether the organization is up to the challenges.
Maybe you merely want to find out whether all is well in general or uncover any issues that could hurt the company in the future.
To get real value from a culture assessment, you must start by clarifying the purpose now.
Question 2: What is Your Endgame?
The second question pertains to what you and your stakeholders want to know, understand, or do with the information you glean.
For example, if a problem such as high turnover is prompting the assessment, very likely your endgame is to understand how the organization and its leaders can address the issues. Your goal may be to uncover those factors you can control.
Or, if you are looking for information to guide decisions concerning work structure, your endgame may be to know enough to determine whether remote, in-office, or a hybrid system will serve your employees and your company best.
Always keep your eye on your endgame when planning an assessment.
Question 3: What Data Do You Need?
Once you clarify where you are headed, you can decide what kind of information to collect.
For example, to uncover actions you can take to address turnover, you might gather input from employees about what they want from their managers and the company.
Of course, you will need to determine also their current evaluations of how the company meets their most significant needs and wants.
Ask for information about issues you can address. Remember, if your endgame is determine how you might stem the turnover, don’t waste your time pursuing causes you can’t control.
Question 4: How Will You Gather the Data?
Armed with the knowledge of the information you need, now you can choose your methods for collecting it.
Your approach can be formal or informal, structured, or free-flowing. Pick a strategy that fits your endgame, circumstances, and budget best.
Often smaller organizations can get by with straightforward techniques such as informal one-on-one conversations or discussions.
Larger companies may require more traditional tactics such as surveys or structured focus groups.
However, always keep the nature of the need top of mind.
If you are merely interested in a high-level pulse check, you may choose informal methods, such as asking a couple of questions possibly in staff meetings, regardless of your company size.
Or you can ask for anecdotes illustrating what is going well and what is not.
However, if your employees feel vulnerable regarding the sensitive issues you are exploring, you will need to protect their anonymity.
You could administer an anonymous survey. Or, you might hire someone from outside of the organization to collect the data to protect the anonymity and confidentiality f your employees. You will get more honest input.
Question 5: How Will You Make Sense of the Data?
No matter what questions you ask or how you gather the answers, the heart of your plan is in how you interpret the information you collect. Always keep your desired endgame in mind as you plan for data analyses.
If you are interested in a pulse check, a simple strategy such as reviewing the stories and pulling out the themes will suffice. On the other hand, if you wish to use the data to guide solutions to pressing problems or critical decisions, you may need more robust processes for analysis.
For example, suppose you wish to determine how to structure work. In that case, most likely you will want to make comparisons of departments and functions.
Or, if you are evaluating whether your culture can support a new opportunity, you might want to see how it stacks up against other organizations such as your competitors. Think through how you can access the comparison data you want.
Most culture assessment firms have information about many organizations. And they routinely provide the information as part of their services.
Make or Buy
After you answer the five questions, you will need to decide whether to secure the services of a culture assessment firm to execute your plan, or do it yourself.
If you are thinking of outsourcing the assessment, examine carefully the tools on offer. Ask yourself whether the the information to be gathered will get you to your endgame.
If you cannot find a firm providing questions that fit your goals, you may be better off constructing your own assessment tools. You ca always seek out an expert to provide help or advice as your needs might require.
Remember, all of the pieces of the culture assessment plan must fit together like a well-constructed puzzle.
When considering your organizational culture, your first step should always be to determine how it is functioning now. By carefully answering these five critical questions you will end up with a plan guaranteed to deliver.
