Freedom Culture
July 4th, 1776. A date that echoes through the decades as a reminder of freedom to our nation. What a difference 245 years makes! This Liberty is reflected not only in our societal culture but in individual and workplace freedoms and diversity groups. Our collective past included a time when class, race and gender paved the way for certain jobs, status in that job and pay rates. Position and ranking in society led to suppressive actions in the workplace, notwithstanding education or skill. As our country’s leaders and managers continue to recognize this issue and shift to accommodate that delta, the question remains; how to create a culture that not only accommodates freedom of expression but safely and actively fosters these beautiful differences?
Strength, transparency and communication at the apex of a company are essential. Nurturing a framework of forward thinkers who are open to change and sensitive to stemming the tide of issues and situations that might stifle an employee’s freedom of expression are key. Hearing individuals’ thoughts and ideas for growth may tap into the wealth of information those individuals represent and often come in a variety of ways from our team members. How that input is received will either encourage the team member to continue sharing their thoughts or discourage future communication. What this does for a company is pretty amazing! It allows employees to feel truly heard, opens the communication pathways and allows employees to feel genuinely valued while keeping a steady flow of innovation. In essence; it allows you as the leader to hear about potential issues before the house burns down.
In this new reality of remote work, video calls and recovery from a national pandemic, employers have been left floundering to navigate the new normal. Additionally, employees that have found they are excelling in a home office, could be reluctant to return to an in-office environment, while other employees may not be able to stand their own four walls any longer! Both of these extremes should be delicately addressed as the recent events of our world have reshaped what freedom looks like to us all. The greater autonomy employees feel could be the catalyst for a higher quality of work – even in a non-traditional working environment. Conversely, others find that they need the input and interaction from in-person team meetings to achieve this level of excellence. Both extremes allow for some eye-opening idea collaboration.
As a starting point, we have compiled a few suggestions for continuing to grow your internal culture and foster strong workforce relationships while including all.
- Provide an autonomous platform for your employees to share ideas
- Facilitate personal touch points with your employees
- Clear and metricized employee growth plan
- Recognition and rewards programs
- Employee engagement and culture surveys
- Strengths and personality training
- Encourage, relate, coach and encourage
What would you say is the BEST thing about working for your company? How would you sell your workplace, team and management style to a potential candidate? If these are easy questions for you to answer, chances are you’ve created an amazing freedom-based culture! At SDHR Consulting, we have a strong and flourishing team, and in turn, a solid and growing business base. While our Three C’s, Clients, Colleagues and Community, fuel our success, the spark that ignites the passion within us is the freedom to share ideas and openly communicate in addition to the opportunity to grow and develop strong relationships.
Want to know more? If so, please connect with one of our HR Consultants to find out about how to start your journey to a freedom-based culture within your company.
Happy 4th of July!
Author: Marsi Harris
