Does your:ompanycultire drrve away vour best workerig v

By Dr. Andrew Edelman

T'S 5:30 a.m. The alarm clock rings. You wake up with a smile on your face. You can't wait to get out of bed. Your job gives you challenge, a sense of pride, and your workplace is one of collaboration, teamwork, and respect. In short, you feel a sense of family at your organization.

Does this sound like you? If so, you are very fortunate. For most Americans, the alarm clock brings a sense of anxiety and dread. The morning commute is fraught with stress and the day is filled with to-do lists, meetings and foreboding questions like: "How long will this job last?" "Who can I trust?" "What impossible-toachieve quota will I be asked to accomplish THIS month?" and "How soon before my retirement?"

Going to work has never been easy. These days the socioeconomic climate has posed tremendous stresses upon organizations, with expectations to produce twice as much with half of the resources.

However, it is the organizational culture that poses the greatest stress for today's employees. Organizational culture is simply the sum total of customs. actions. attitudes and ideas that perneate a given workplace. It consists of the rules, environment and daily life surrounding those who work and visit within. whether as internal or external customers. In short, it is the "pulse" of daily life at work.

When positive in nature, company culture results in high output with dedicated team members confidently steering the organization towards its goals. Turnover is reduced and profits are achieved. Unfortunately, the vast majority of today's organizations are filled with negative culture character- istics. rvhich can have a clramatrc cffbct on rvork outpr-rt and n,ork lif'e. Bclon, arc some strategics to hcip nurturc a positive culturc and retain key cnrployecs: lta l. Encourage and reward workers who are willing to "go the extra mile."

As a manager ol director. pitch in r'vhcn necessary firr the qrcatcr -uood of thc or-ganization. Going irbovc iind bcyond thc call of dutv u'ill not bc considered an irnposition u'hen eniployees are trcated as family rather than a number on an ID bad-ee.

2. Maintain open lines of communication at all levels. Opcn-doclr policies and f'ccdback should be frec florvin-s and not gov crned by organizationiil hicrarchl,. Authority should be respectcd but input shoulcl be ri,clcomecl from all levels of personnel sincc thc person closcst to thc problcrn usually knoivs exactly rvhiit it takcs to solvc it.

3. Reduce or eliminate micromanagement.

Unless the situation warrants iln irnrrrediale elisi: r'c:Donrc. rnicrttrnlrrr- agement is an impcdirncnt to productivity. Hovering over e niployccs ancl interf-ering rvith their ability to makc choiccs are colnnron lcadership blundcrs uscd in an iittcnlpt to irnprovc perforrnance.'fhis strategy usually backfircs sincc nricronranagclncnt uot only slor'vs dorvn organizational process. but conveys a subtlc message of distlust ancl lack of confidence irr one's team rlcrnbers.

Pcople should bc cncourirged tcr grorv and e volve rvith the unclcrstancling that some mistakes arc il piirt of thc lcarning proccss. This stratcgy alonc can rapidly transform a ngid. ptroll_1 pct'l'ortnin! cr()up int() ()ne chalacterizcd b1, high pertirrmancc.

4. Maintain competitive salaries and benefits.

This. in addition to anrple opportunitics fbr advanccmcnl and salary step raises. hclp lcclLrce turncllcr. Pavchccks should never be delayed, if' possiblc. Placc associates in thcir "dream .job" position rvhenevcr possible ancl rervarcl superior perfirrrnancc, generous|1' ancl oflen.

5. Encourage ethical decision-making at all levels.

This applies to internal and external clicrrtele. Ethics and lroncsty should be part of c1ail1' organizational culture. not .just il pretty phrasc on a framed Iobby mission statcrnent. Leadels must bc keenll' au,'are ol'the transparcncy of clccisions iind clocumentation. often available on the Internet firr thc entire ivorld to see.

Collaboration. teanrrvork and rvinrvin relationships are cncoura-ued at all ler,els. It is never "my peoplc" or "my progranr.' but rathcr "our team" or "our contribution." Managcrs should be "n'c"-oricntecl. rnission-drivcn coaclres. riithcr than "rne"-orientecl. A porvcrf'ul leaclership strategy: pronrote yollr team u'ith the sarnc level of enthusiasrn that yor.r rvould prornote yourself. Cover youl ofTicc lvall rvith a cclcbration clf vour team members' successes rather than your own and 1'ou rvill alrvays earn their rcspect.

7. Downsizewith dignity and professionalism. (ltlausc trrrrt to 1xr,qc t\-l )