The “Jambo” effect: Why positive workplace culture is the new currency

By Vincent Chagara and Carol Langat

There was a time when any talk about culture change was accompanied by eye rolls and chuckles.

There was a time when all that an employer could offer—and all that an employee would expect—was money. There was a time when you could say “leave it at the door” and honestly convince yourself that it was possible or prudent.

Those days are, however, gone. Were those simpler times? Of course, we are complex beings and to expect less is to accept a lesser life.

Modern workers often take the blame for this paradigm shift; but for those that understand, most people cannot spend their lives without making adjustmentschange is inexorable.

Today, culture is a resilient and an invaluable commodity among employees in an organization. Culture is the set of shared values, norms, attitudes, goals, and practices that characterizes an organization.

It entails a system of people, their beliefs, and interactions. Culture is the social operating system shaping organizational values, defining how employees work, and determining how they succeed within an organization.

Culture Change is about adjusting this system so that communication is more effective and beliefs match with organizational goals and strategic direction.

KNH has a diverse workforce comprising different professions, ethnicities, religions, races, and people of varying ages among others.

The dynamism of the Hospital environment and the complexity of the Hospital’s inter-functional linkages and systems requires inculcating a positive organizational culture that overrides the individual cultures.

A positive organizational culture is a key driver of performance since it enhances productivity, growth, and efficiency and reduces counterproductive behavior. The importance of fostering a great organizational culture cannot be over-emphasized.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast lunch and super as the age-old adage goes. Culture sets the tone for an organization as it has a strong influence on employee behavior as well as organizational performance.

The Hospital has developed a Culture Change and Management Strategy 2022-2025, that sets out the tone of the desired culture at KNH as well as repositioning the hospital to achieve its desired strategic goals and objectives.

The overarching aim of the strategy is to ensure the alignment of staff culture to organizational structure and strategic direction.

Process Oriented

- Lack of accountability - Availabilty of scarcity mentality - Responsibility for fault or wrong - Lack of sense or urgency

Internally driven

- Negative Values - Negative Attitude - Lack Of Professionalism And Intergrity - Inappropiate Phone Usage - Poor Time Management - Poor Safety Management - Satisfaction With Status Quo - Silo Mentality

Closed System Culture

- Lack of on-boarding systems - Lack of coaching systems - Information Sharing

Work Centered

- Abscence of reward and sanctions systems - Lack of team oriented culture - Abscence of Leadership commitment - Over-delegation of responsibilities - Inadequate communication systems - Absence of Emplyee Commitment

Summary of culture issues at KNH

Mr. Job Makanga, OGW, the Senior Director, Corporate Services underscores the critical role that culture plays in the attainment of organizational strategic goals.

He says “Progressive organizations create attention to culture amongst its workforce. Firms endeavor to instill cultures that are ethical, trusting, accountable, open, innovative and motivating of high performance.” - Mr. Job Makanga, OGW, SDCOS create attention to culture amongst its workforce. Firms endeavor to instill cultures that are ethical, trusting, accountable, open, innovative and motivating of high performance. The need for culture change at KNH has necessitated culture change thinking in its systems as change management is critical in spurring performance.”

KNH exhibits diverse cultural dynamics that include both visible and invisible cultures according to an analysis of cultural aspects in the hospital (KNH Culture Change Report, 2018).

The visible culture entails documented policies, plans, and strategies that have been established to guide the various procedures and processes within the Hospital.

It also includes other visible cultural artifacts and identifiers related to the Hospital such as office layout, symbols, slogans, and ceremonies. KNH’s invisible culture entails the way things are done, are understood, judged, and valued.

The predominant culture of an organization plays a significant role in determining the success

or failure of an organization. The Hospital, with this understanding, has embarked on modalities of strengthening and deeply rooting strategies in a bid to instill a culture of high performance among staff across all functional areas and aspects.

The need to inculcate and enculture a positive culture has necessitated the development of various strategies anchored on the corporate strategic plan to act as the foundations for the achievement of strategic goals.

KNH culture is dominantly hierarchical with strong structures and controls in place geared towards creating efficiency, effectiveness, and stability in its operations.

According to Mr. Vincent Chagara, Manager, Strategy and Performance, “For the Hospital to sustain the current level of performance it is imperative that momentum is maintained by creating a sense of urgency. This can only be possible by creating and implementing a positive organizational culture based on hospital values and value proposition”.

In an ever-changing world, workplace culture must remain strong. In today’s ever-changing world, now more than ever, workplace culture reigns supreme.

Now is the time to build on the progress of recent months and double down on clearly stated organizational values. These values must be embraced by those at all leadership levels and then down to the employees they manage.

Modern organizations must move past “just getting the work done” and begin thinking long term—with their employees’ concerns top of mind. As organizations strengthen their values, strong management teams should offer stability and keep workplace cultures on track to drive business goals and help retain invaluable talent. Only with management being at the forefront can KNH build a better workplace.

Mr. Job Makanga, OGW, SDCOS

PHOTO|THELLESI CO.

The hospital has made great strides towards the institutionalization of a positive culture. The Culture Change and Management Strategy has been formulated and rolled out for implementation across the Hospital.

In addition, culture change sensitization sessions have been rolled out in a bid to create awareness of the importance of culture change and enable staff to appreciate their role in the implementation of the strategy as well as understand the linkage between culture and performance.

Further culture change champions have been appointed across all the functional areas to spearhead the culture change agenda in the hospital.

In today’s ever-changing world, now more than ever, organizational culture reigns supreme. Change is difficult, not changing is fatal, stated Ms. Carol Langat, the Senior Strategy Officer.

Culture change road map