Council Post: How To Maintain Organizational Culture During Times Of Chaos

Scott is the Co-Founder of Fusebox, a tech-enabled utility management solutions company.

Cultural strength within an organization plays a large role in the organization’s success, especially throughout times of chaos.

Organizational structure refers to the shared values and beliefs that are held by leaders and employees and woven into the framework of a company. As the co-founder of a software company that specializes in energy planning, I’ve found that having and maintaining a strong and unified culture will bring an increase in productivity and drive within employees to do their jobs — and do them well.

Many companies have business continuity plans ready to be executed, but not all do. Now, maybe more than ever with the coronavirus, organizations need ways to enhance and maintain their cultures that allow for unity, respect and transparency. 

During times of chaos, it’s easy for infrastructure to fall apart. When an organization’s culture declines, employee satisfaction decreases dramatically. Studies have shown that about 71% of global employees would seek out other job opportunities if their current work culture were to decline. Employees lose their comfort and the feeling of being aligned with the company through common values. Current keystones within your company’s culture could become lifelines for employees during times of hardship. Turnover rates and new-hire costs could increase, meaning production and collaboration would take a steep downturn. Luckily, this is all avoidable regardless of your company’s size and budget. 

Leaders need to model the organization’s culture daily in periods of uncertainty. Keeping a positive attitude and open communication is the first step. Make sure employees are being kept up to date on any information, including any available resources in or outside the company, so they can feel a sense of safety.

Furthermore, understand how hard this transition is for many of your employees and that they, too, have outside lives. Be lenient with their workload and deadlines and, when possible, continue to support your hourly workers as they will most likely experience a decrease in income. The psychological safety of your employees will make all the difference in their wellness and productivity. 

By making employee wellness a staple in your company culture, you’ll create an environment of trust. This is done largely through open communication from all levels within the organization. Sixty-one percent of people say that trust between themselves and higher management is crucial in their job satisfaction.

To foster these relationships, you must talk to and thoroughly listen to your employees. Make them feel valued. How they feel and any obstacles they face are valid and need to be heard and addressed, especially during times of uncertainty and emotion.

Try hosting group wellness check-in meetings over video calls regularly, and check on employees regarding their health, family and stressors. A wellness buddy system made up of small groups allows everyone to stay connected on a more personal level. Unity and support will be extremely important in getting your organization through chaotic times. 

Hold onto any sense of normalcy in the workplace, even if the physical location has changed, to help cut down on the sense of overwhelm during this transition. Weekly and monthly meetings can be done over video conferences, instead. Use humor, success stories, parenting/work stories and consistent updates to keep everyone in high spirits and unified.

Show gratitude and praise to employees even more than you might have previously, and make sure they know how crucial they are to your organization. The more valued and secure your employees feel in the company, the more drive and motivation they’ll have to help your company succeed. 

The current times are certainly unprecedented, but this doesn’t have to be the end of the road. With continued teamwork, togetherness and communication in your organizational culture, there is a great possibility to come out the other side stronger than before. Value the people who have helped you get this far and continue to foster a work environment people enjoy being a part of. The benefits will provide you with a solid organizational foundation and a culture that will pave the way for a prosperous future.

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