Want to Impact Your Bottom Line? Focus on Your Culture.
by Elizabeth Cipolla, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Since March 2020, life as we’ve always known it has changed in virtually every way possible, especially in the organizations we lead. At Decision Associates, we have been in the trenches with leaders like you who are trying to navigate the impact of the pandemic while keeping their customers taken care of, and maintaining steady employment for the employees they care about so deeply.
One remarkable glimmer of hope that comes with every crisis, is that it can serve as a catalyst for long overdue change if you are willing to open your eyes and see beyond the haze of the unknown. An emerging pattern we are already noticing, is the shocking differences between organizations that are run by leaders who’ve been quick to recognize the role that culture has played in helping them to thrive in recent months, versus those who are slower to embrace this reality. When we look back on 2020 many years from now, we will likely see a pattern in the organizations that survived and those that didn’t. The willingness of leaders to embrace the underutilized role played by organizational culture will be a main thread of commonality in this pattern.
The pandemic has revealed the criticality of culture in helping an organization successfully make it to the “other side” of the unknown. Culture is an “inside out” model that starts with a strong sense of self-awareness as a leadership team, then extends to the functional level and then to the organizational-wide level. The organizations who are coming out of the ashes of this crisis the strongest, are run by leaders who have not only taken steps to strengthen their team and overall culture but have also peeled back the layers to focus on every individual – including themselves. Regardless of how overwhelmed your operation may be, how understaffed you are, or if you are struggling to meet customer demands, the ability of your organization to rise above it all boils down to how those who represent your organization during every interaction make others feel. What is at the center of it all? Your culture.
Your organization’s culture is not a document or framed poster hanging in the hallway for your customers to see. It is what the people in your organization believe, how they behave, and the experience their behavior delivers to others; especially when times are tough. Your culture directly correlates to business stability and growth. This is a fact in good times and during times of crisis. The great news is that your organization’s future is completely controllable by you if you use your culture as a key strategy to drive results. How do I know? It’s simple. Your organization’s culture begins at the top – with you, and trickles into every nook and cranny of your business. If you want to develop a superior culture that fosters success and longevity for your business, it needs to start with you.
We’ve already seen this at play with multiple clients who have embraced this model since March 2020 and are enjoying results they never thought possible. We are excited to announce a menu of data-driven cultural services aimed at helping you to tap into your organization’s culture as a strategy for growth and profitability. Some of our clients have already begun to realize the fruits of their investment in these services with record-breaking profits amidst a year when so many other organizations are trying to stay out of the red.
We’d love to help you shift your focus on what can be done to grow your organization by tapping into your culture in a way that keeps quantifiable data at the forefront of decision-making and allocation of your precious resources. The gift of this pandemic has been a prime opportunity to recognize and address cultural issues within your organization so you can emerge stronger than before and be ready to adapt when the next crisis comes along. Are you ready to take the first step? We are here to walk beside you.
Elizabeth P. Cipolla is an executive consultant specializing in the areas of regulatory compliance; organizational development; strategy; executive coaching; leadership development; executive search, and organizational communication for over 20 years. She brings leadership experience from various industries including aerospace, apparel, e-Commerce, education, government, human services, insurance, manufacturing, media and nonprofit. To contact Elizabeth, email her at ElizabethCipolla@DecisionAssociates.net.