How to have a more human organizational culture
Just like the definition of “culture” in Sociology, the concept of organizational culture is directly linked to the values, traditions and beliefs of a place, more specifically of a given company, reflecting the way in which it organizes itself, responding to its mission and whether she matches this.
With the past, the present is made
Thinking about a timeline, it is remarkable how much work relationships are changing. Close to us, in the 80s/90s, for example, companies were aligned around the Era of Quality for the Customer, which was suggestively concerned with customer satisfaction first and the Era of Competitiveness, where influential organizations such as GE Motors and Coca-Cola applied this type of management and fueled their business with a single focus: short-term profit and results. It was almost like seeing the American motto “time is money” taking physical form.
However, the world was evolving, employers and employees began to realize that the work environment should not be hostile, toxic, competitive, full of pressure and fear, and that with a more human organizational culture all stakeholders of an institution would benefit significantly.
The pandemic has shown us this need more than ever
We cannot ignore how much the pandemic made us see everything around us from a different perspective. It would be no different with organizational culture, as it is the alloy that supports a company's alignment and in person it is easier to apply. Contact was suddenly taken away from us, where two weeks of working from home became months.
There were few who did not have their mental health affected during this difficult time, which ended up generating a sense of urgency to improve organizational management, making it more humanized and seeking to understand more than ever the particularities of each employee.
How to apply it in your company
Implementing empathetic management may seem complex, after all, dealing with people will never be an easy task, so here are some tips on how you can do it:
Adopt “people first”
People First is a concept that brings us the idea that those responsible for the organizational management of a company must apply in all their actions the principle that the well-being of the people who work there always comes first. An example? Agreements with gyms demonstrate care for physical health, just as daycare assistance demonstrates concern for employees' families. It’s about seeing your employees as human above all else, and at all times.
Value and invest in good communication
Communication is the link that unites human relationships, considering it dispensable when talking about humanized management would be a huge mistake. Thinking about giving more voice and also listening to your employees, internal communication is the best universe to be explored, you can start or endorse it with the use of Corporate TV's and/or applications of Internal Communication.
Understand the profile of your employees and leaders
Leaders will be fundamental in this humanization process, hence the importance of training them and choosing them meticulously. All employees are direct agents of a company’s success! By understanding them, you will be able to observe what they need and see their impressions about the institution.
Promote more interactions
Bring your employees, leaders, managers and interns closer together. Greater contact generates relationships of trust between teams, thus improving internal relationships and making the work environment more pleasant.
Praise your collaborator
Value everyone without distinction. An employee who feels validated will be more motivated to work, and will be committed to improving the service environment. Always give feedback and recognize good service or a good idea!
The benefits of these actions
Currently, a company that applies these practices has a lot of value in the market, as it has become what customers and employees are looking for. A more human organizational culture can be extremely profitable in the long term. In addition to reducing turnover and increasing productivity.
A company is essentially made up of people, and you can have the best talent, but with poor management, this will not be exploited. Organizational culture is what makes employees want to go to work or not, and the act of humanizing it is essential to becoming increasingly healthier.
“I think leadership is about valuing the time you spend with your team more than anything else you do”[…] “Your employees come first. If you treat them right, do you know what will happen? Your customers come back, and that will make shareholders happy. Start with your employees and the rest will follow.”
Research carried out by authors Raj Sisodia, David B. Wolfe and Jag Sheth and published in the book Humanized Companies – People, Purpose and Performance.
