Employees are feeling excluded during a culture change. How can you ensure their voices are heard?

Providing avenues and platforms for team members to share their perspectives is essential. However, these practices are meaningless if the consultation isn't genuine. This ‘tick a box’ approach may satisfy your ‘to do’ list, but it doesn’t achieve any buy-in. If you genuinely want to consult, it’s critical to consider how the session is structured to ensure the most effective participation and gathering of ideas. For example, ensure there are a range of ways for people to share ideas and provide feedback; thereby accounting for different communication styles and comfort levels in speaking up in a large group format.

A proximidade da liderança é um ferramenta que pode ser utilizada em diversas circunstâncias e não seria diferente em situações de mudança cultural. Como toda mudança é muito comum os medos surgirem, medo de redução de quadro, de alteração de benefícios, redução de orçamento entre outros. Estar próximo do time para entender e esclarecer esses "medos" reduzirá muito o desgaste na organização e poderão trabalhar com as situações concretos e os seus próximos passos.

Change is unsettling - early on people need to understand what is changing but just as important, what won't change as part of the process

Feedback is an important growth and development tool. By hearing the voice of employees, through surveys or skip/team meetings, we provide them with an opportunity to share their insights from their personal experience of what has been going well and what needs to improve, and most importantly actively be a part of the change, work together to continuously improve to build and create a best workplace to be. Culture Change is a journey where the whole organization is connected to drive a single purpose of growth and improvement. It cannot be achieved when we exclude employees or by driving own agenda or purpose. A collective purpose or outcome is achieved always by including everyone.

Na minha experiência, a implementação de ciclos de feedback robustos é essencial para fortalecer a cultura organizacional. Seja por meio de pesquisas, caixas de sugestões ou discussões contínuas, é crucial garantir que o feedback seja realmente considerado e transformado em ações concretas. Ao fechar o ciclo, comunicando as medidas tomadas com base nas contribuições dos colaboradores, validamos sua importância e reforçamos seu papel no desenvolvimento da empresa. Isso cria um ambiente de confiança e engajamento, onde todos se sentem parte ativa na formação da nova cultura.

It's essential to have feedback loops, especially when people feel left out of the change process. Habits and behaviors play a big part in shaping the culture, and feedback loops can help strengthen positive behaviors that are in line with the culture you want to create. They can also uncover issues that leaders may not have expected by collecting feedback from employees at different levels within the organization. Consistent feedback creates a dynamic, inclusive, and strong culture where employees feel valued and included.

Create Feedback Champions: Designate individuals or teams within the organization to act as feedback champions. Their role is to regularly review feedback, ensure it reaches the right decision-makers, and follow up on actions taken. These champions can also facilitate communication between leadership and employees, making sure all voices are represented.

Na minha experiência, envolver os funcionários nos estágios de planejamento da mudança de cultura é essencial para o sucesso do processo. A criação de equipes multifuncionais, com membros de diferentes níveis e departamentos, não só promove uma diversidade de pensamento, como também gera estratégias mais abrangentes e eficazes. Esse tipo de planejamento inclusivo dá aos colaboradores um senso de propriedade sobre a mudança, o que aumenta o engajamento e a aceitação das novas direções da empresa. Quando todos participam, o resultado é uma cultura organizacional mais forte e coesa.

For a cultural change effort to succeed, everyone needs to be heard and included. At CulturalChange, when we lead organizations through change, we first work with top leaders to create the change strategy and then develop the skills leaders need to lead their teams through change. During this phase, most employees feel excluded from the change effort while their motivation to participate increases as they see the commitment, actions, and improvements their leaders are making. We then deliver 1-day Employee Engagement Workshops to fine tune the change strategy, identify Inhibitors of Change, identify performance barriers, and develop needed skills. We often see a significant “pop” in performance immediately following these workshops.

Instead of top-down directives, work with employees to co-create the vision for the new culture. Facilitate workshops or brainstorming sessions where employees can contribute ideas and express concerns. This collaborative approach not only gives employees a stake in the outcome but also helps to align the culture change with the values and needs of the workforce.

Building trust is a crucial element in transforming cultures. When employees are given the chance to collaborate and contribute to defining the values and behaviors for the new culture, they feel their input is respected and valued. Involving employees in the planning process shouldn't follow a hierarchical structure; rather, it should include a diverse group of affected individuals. This approach promotes innovation, transparency and openness amongst teams.

Training plays a vital role in any culture change or transformation initiative and should be thoughtfully designed to emphasize critical components such as: The reasons driving the change. - The need for change. - What specific changes are being implemented? - The impact these changes will have (on staff, organization, and customers) - The challenges the change addresses or the benefits it brings. To be effective, training programs must align closely with the overall change rollout plan.

Equip managers with listening skills. Start by training managers and leaders in active listening and empathetic communication. These skills are crucial for understanding and addressing employee concerns. When managers are trained to listen effectively, they can better capture and act on the feedback from their teams.

A avaliação continua por muitas vezes é um desafio de se manter, pois requer tempo e ação de resposta. Na minha opinião é importante alinhar as expectativas sobre as avaliações, pois as pessoas podem esperar serem reconhecidas ou receberem "premios" após uma avaliação, e na maioria das vezes isso não é possível. Sugiro que sempre após uma avaliação o plano de ação seja construido através do time ou da prórpia pessoa que foi avaliada. Se estamos falando de um processo, este deve receber um responsável, um "dono", para fazer a ser o seu guardião.