Culture and Community When Working in an Office Suite

Diversity and inclusivity are the hot-button topics in the business world today. Employees want to feel like they are respected and belong. You want to build culture and community within your organization.

Culture and Community When Working in an Office Suite

Diversity and inclusion are one of today’s hot topics in conference programs, media, and executive agendas. The need for diverse teams and leadership is prioritized, increasing demand for “Diversity and Inclusion Lead” roles.

The primary responsibilities for these roles include understanding the current employee makeup of the company, the culture that is supporting each employee’s day-to-day operations, and how to change that culture to where it works for all employees within the organization. 

Culture of an Organization Explained

“Culture” is defined as the customs, ideas, and social behaviors of a specific people or group. An organization’s culture is the pinnacle of the behaviors, values, and priorities that support their employees in how they work individually, with teams, and with clients. Culture plays a significant part in creating an inclusive community within an organization.

Positive company culture is committed to professional values and support employees of all backgrounds, sexuality, genders, and ethnicity. This allows them to feel they are working with their supervisors and managers instead of feeling like they are working for them.

Additionally, a positive culture ensures that all employees are essential to the organization- they are not expendable. This creates a sense of community within the organization.

On the other hand, a negative culture does the opposite, causing an increase in employee turnover, disengagement, and supporting a poor work ethic.

How to Create an Inclusive Culture and Build Community

When you have an inclusive culture within your company, employees feel like part of a community. They feel like they belong, which means they’ll put more effort into their work.

You can do four things to create an inclusive culture within your organization to support engagement and success among your employees.

Listen

One of the best ways to improve the culture within your organization is to understand the current culture. To do this, you’ll need to understand what is currently working and what is required.

There are a variety of ways you can listen, such as:

• One-on-one meetings
• Workshops
• Anonymous surveys
• Crowd-sourcing

The goal of these listening sessions is to get a clear view of what is going on within the organization from those living it daily, whether good, bad, or indifferent.

When you are reaching out to get this feedback from your employees, reach out to all levels. The culture will be different from partners within the organization than those who are in the mid-tier roles. Ensure that you are truly listening when you hold these meetings and actively understand what they are saying.

Offer an Action Plan

After you’ve listened, take some time to figure out how you will address what they have told you. This step is critical. Otherwise, employees will see you as “all talk, no action.” There are many forms the “action” step can take.

For example, if employees state that they don’t feel like they are part of a community and belong, figure out how to encourage inclusion. You can utilize employee resource groups to help people come together and meet others who think the same way to find their place within the organization.

Value Everyone’s Input

“Culture” means something different to everyone, and a feeling of belonging is also different for everyone. When you are determining what needs to change, keep in mind that everyone’s input is equal.

All of the information gathered from your listening sessions needs to be utilized to develop an action plan to create a sense of community within your organization’s culture.

Facilitate two-way communication

As your company grows, your culture should continue to evolve. To ensure that the company embraces diversity and respect, you must open up communication between employees and leadership.

Be comfortable with being challenged, and keep in mind that your goal is to create an environment that supports, promotes, and hears everyone.

Conclusion

Creating a positive culture and a sense of community within your organization is not just the right thing to do, it makes sense from a business perspective. Inclusive organizations are more likely to surpass their financial targets, be agile/innovative, achieve positive business outcomes, and be high-performing.

Your organization’s culture has a significant impact on your overall growth, employee engagement, and success. Therefore, you must take the time to work on it.