Win The Future

Successful companies value employees and put people first. The concept is deceptively simple. Yet, in practice, it’s a complex balancing act that requires organizations to meet the changing needs and expectations of a new workforce paradigm. From Baby Boomers to Generations X, Y and Z, each demographic has its own attitudes about work and what they find fulfilling. It’s not easy creating a company culture that works for everyone, but it can be done.

1. A clear and relatable mission, vision and values statement that connects the company’s purpose to employee engagement and give all employees something to believe in and work toward.
2. A well-defined path for career growth. If you want employees to produce results for your company, they have to have a way to create their own future, not just do a job. This is especially important for younger generations who are free agents, jumping from job to job for 25 cents an hour more to see what they like. If you only give them a job and they do not see a future, be prepared for them to go somewhere else.
3. A recruiting strategy. Top companies hire for cultural fit and create value-aligned teams. People generally like being around people with similar values, just like successful people like being around other successful people. When employees and teams have good chemistry, cooperate, share and work well together, productivity not only improves at the project level, but it’s a key driver of profitability and customer satisfaction.
4. A plan to recover from bad hiring decisions. When companies hire people that don’t share the same values and the relationship can’t be salvaged, they need to learn what went wrong to avoid repeating the situation, cut their losses quickly and eliminate employees that do not fit rather than allow the problem to fester.
5. A walk-the-talk commitment to reinforce positive behavior and lead by example. Behavior affects reputation, relationships and the bottom line. Successful companies that focus on behaviors that complement a forward-thinking culture deliver better financial results.

Four behaviors that are essential to competing in the digital age

1. Sense of urgency. The speed at which a company solves problems is extremely important in a hyper-competitive service environment. No longer do big companies have the edge over small companies. Amazon has created a “fast beats slow” expectation for fulfillment and customers no longer want to wait. If they want an answer to a question, they Google it. This is especially true in residential work where the company that responds first, gets the job.
2. Sense of purpose. People who have purpose at work are more productive. When companies do a good job making employees feel connected to the bigger picture, it results in higher engagement and better outcomes. Employees must understand and believe in what they are doing and how they are contributing to the greater good and the role they play in driving success. If companies don’t help their employees find purpose in the job they do, they will leave for a company that will. A sense of purpose overcomes problems and prevents burnout. Purpose goes hand-in-hand with a sense of urgency.
3. Promote from within. Providing opportunities for employees to grow will help companies attract and retain talent and keep top performers from leaving. When combined with colleague-to-colleague mentoring, a “train your replacement” mindset and upskilling, internal mobility empowers employees to take ownership of their careers. Workforce agility is an essential part of a culture of continuous learning, which is necessary for a company to improve its competitiveness in the marketplace.
4. Continuous learning. Peter Senge, author of the Fifth Discipline, wrote that “learning faster than the competition is the only lasting competitive advantage.” If implemented correctly, a continuous learning culture can develop internal future leaders and inspire innovation. When employees at every level are committed to relentless improvement, it’s the most powerful way for employees across every generation to increase the effectiveness of the entire organization and produce a sustainable flow of value.