SHAPING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

The culture of an organisation is shaped in many different ways with a variety of positive and negative outcomes For example, in some organisations, the CEO with the support of other directors is perceived to shape the culture. In other organisations, the shaping is done by the HR team, which includes those skilled in organisational design.

Although a great deal of thought and effort goes into culture shaping it is interesting to note that feedback from employees suggests that it fails to match the rhetoric. I have been involved in a range of both public and private organisations that were investing significant resources to achieve their mission, vision and value statement. Unfortunately, in spite of genuine intent and effort the outcomes tended to fall short of what was desired. Although the reasons for the less than desirable outcomes are many, I will set out below what can lead to shaping a culture that is less effective to shaping one that potentially could be the most effective.

MAKING HR WORK FOR EVERYONE

HR policy and practices have a huge influence on determining the actual culture as they underpin how people are treated within an organisation and therefore influence how people behave. The outcome of wellbeing and effective achievement or alternatively stress, frustration and lack of performance, depends on how well the HR policies and practices are aligned to the espoused culture.The consequences can result in employees feeling (or not feeling) a sense of fairness/equity, being engaged/motivated, effectively led and managed.

I have observed the following ends of a continuum of two distinct organizational cultures that emerge from the implementation of HR policy and practices. These are the

• HR Dependency (Approval) Driven Culture
• HR Enabling/Engaged Driven Culture

The HR Dependency (Approval) Driven Culture describes how at one end of a HR policy and practices continuum the outputs produce significantly less effective results from employees. In my experience these organisations usually have employees with the capability of producing truly outstanding results if only they had been provided with effective leadership and an enabling environment.

Outlined below is the HR Enabling/Engaged Driven Culture. This describes a culture that will enable employees to produce results that most organisations dream of achieving.

HR ENABLING/ENGAGED DRIVEN CULTURE

In essence – this culture enables team leaders and individuals/teams to be empowered and accountable for delivering agreed outputs/outcomes.  Most importantly, HR policy and practices (frameworks) align to this way of operating. The following scenarios are lived in this culture

Me, the Empowered Person

• I understand what the organisation wants to achieve
• I know what I have to achieve – aligned to the above (outputs and outcomes)  – working in partnership/collaboration as required
• I have the tools and capability to do this work
• I take the decisions/accountability for achieving
• I inform and am informed
• I receive feedback on how well I am doing
• I get whatever training/coaching I need to improve
• I have access to development opportunities that grow my capabilities
• I am aware of promotion opportunities that suit my talent
• I am appropriately rewarded for my contribution
• I raise and resolve issues directly with those concerned
• I am motivated and engaged in my organisation’s goals
• My organisation has an enabling performance culture
• I am valued: I add value

Team Leaders – Accountable for leading the most important asset –people!!

Team Leaders are expected to take accountability for delivering effective leadership. They have the capability to take on the ‘people management’ functions and deliver within the aligned HR policy and practices (frameworks) of the organisation.

The demands from a rapidly changing world require every employee to be able to make an effective contribution and this can only be achieved by having an enabling organisational culture. This type of environment produces people who would give the following feedback about their Team Leader:

My Empowered Team Leader

• Is a People Manager who is capable and effective at:
  • recruitment and selection
  • performance management (outputs, outcomes)
  • assessment and implementation of rewards
  • coaching, mentoring, training, counseling
  • acquiring effective resources required by the team
  • ‘living’ enabling culture practices

My Team Leader is the right person to do this as he/she

• Provides leadership on what needs to be achieved
• Acquires team members based on the capabilities required
• Enables team/individuals to draw up plans on the part that they need to achieve
• Ensures the team/individuals acquire the resources they need to achieve their outcomes
• Monitors the overall progress being evaluated by individuals/team towards achievement
• Responds to performance issues as needed
• Keeps the bigger picture in focus
• Keeps team members and other relevant colleagues informed

HR ENABLING/ENGAGED CULTURE – THE VALUE ADDED HR ROLE

The value added role of HR is to design and deliver HR in a way that supports the enabling/engaged culture in practice.  It needs to

• Provide aligned specialist frameworks for use by team leaders and individuals, in particular
  • Performance management
  • Recruitment and selection
  • Reward
• Train/coach team leaders and individuals to be capable in the effective use of HR frameworks
• Keep frameworks updated to reflect best practice
• Keep up to date database of records of employment to meet legislative requirements
• Provide data on the capabilities that exist throughout the organisation to enable team leaders to make decisions on current and future planning of people resources that match ongoing organisational goals.
• Provide an impartial and unbiased service
• Be trusted, develop effective relationships

THE ANSWER

HR policy/practices and their delivery should match what is required to produce the agreed culture that will best deliver the outcomes for a business and its people.  Each business and those employed are different.  Tailoring the way HR impacts your organisation could significantly improve the health of your business and those you employ or contract thus enabling the achievement of the sustainable outputs/outcomes you seek.

SUMMARY

The HR Enabling/Engaged Driven Culture produces a culture where individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour and actions, and self- manage any potential consequential risk that may occur. Achievement is recognized and celebrated. They also are willing and able to deal with outcomes that are not up to expectations because they are supported and encouraged to take full responsibility for their actions. This is done in a ‘non blame’ manner as the focus is on dealing with the issue firstly followed by looking for ways to improve performance with the full involvement of those involved.

The HR Dependency (Approval) Driven Culture produces a risk adverse culture where HR policy/practice dis-empower management and team members, leading to poor levels of motivation and productivity. See my next blog.

The choice is yours.

Sheila Hampshire

Chartered Fellow – Institute of Personnel Development

August 2011

Motivational Organisations

There is nothing new about what makes an organisation function effectively. Many, many, moons ago it was identified that what motivates individuals primarily is (in this order)

· Knowing what their job entails including the expected outcomes and where it fits within the bigger picture of organisational outcomes

· Feedback on how they are doing against achieving the outcomes

· Appropriate reward for their contribution

The desired environment (organisational culture) is one of respect, cooperation and meritocracy. Progression paths are known. Development opportunities are provided to gain the required capabilities and advance within a fair and transparent process.

This is not rocket science. Individuals take accountability for achieving the required performance and for deciding how to take advantage of career paths. If they want to progress, they know the criteria and what they need to acquire in terms of expertise. If they do not want to progress further, they understand the rewards and consequences of continuing their current role.

The organisation takes accountability for providing career paths, offering development opportunities and ensuring there is equality of opportunity when selection occurs for job vacancies. At times jobs/departments may be restructured to align with the future goals of the company and provide those currently employed with development opportunities to fulfil the requirements of the new paradigm.

‘Stable’ Managers

In such companies there are excellent individuals carrying out the role of the ‘stable manager’. Such managers are performing excellently at the peak of capability. They are providing a stable ongoing effective contribution to the success of the organisation through the achievement of their core job role as well as through their knowledge/experience of the wider organisation. So their influences are threefold

· The achievement of the outcomes of their job role

· Their contribution to the achievement of the wider goals of the organisation through their involvement in projects outside of their core role

· Their contribution through coaching of less experienced colleagues thus providing a rich talent for the future of the organisation and the individuals involved

The whole modus operandi is selfless. It is for the greater good and they receive acknowledgement for their contribution in the areas above. Their sense of job satisfaction and self worth is great as they know they are making a significant contribution.

A culture of

· Accountability and achievement – performing to achieve organisational outcomes. (vision)

· Empowerment and enabling talent development – taking opportunities and providing opportunities for the development of self and others

· Performance management and coaching through feedback on learning and achievement

Where is HR?

And, you may ask, where is HR in all this wonderful productive way of operating. HR is in the way. It is more than in the way. It is often a block and a collaborator in the implementation of unfair systems of performance management, people development, recruitment and selection, reward.

Help. HR often thinks it is in a position to know exactly how people are performing, who should be developed, who should be promoted and who should be rewarded. They are the decision makers. And are often the know-alls who intimidate managers to adopt their recommendations.

HR has taken over the role of the manager in managing their people. It is not surprising that managing does not happen; that individuals court HR ensuring their name/profile will feature on ‘talent’ lists.; that managers are afraid to take action to discuss performance issues with individuals without the permission and guidance of HR. Often the guidance is misguided as HR feels they should be making a decision based on the information provided rather than enabling the manager and individuals to reach an effective decision. HR takes over the manager role thereby undermining their position.

Questionable Contribution of HR

HR is also excellent at introducing new systems for managers to implement. These are not optional – they are a requirement. The added value is marginal and is in real terms negative once the deflection from core business to implement such systems is taken into account. HR systems should not be changed/implemented unless managers and individuals can see clearly the added benefits to the achievement of the outcomes of the business/their department.

We end up with organisations that are not managed. They are increasing run by HR whose drive often does not take account of operational needs and customer service. It is a huge overhead in numbers employed and its budget.

HR seems to think that their contribution is excellent if they reinvent the wheel and put everyone in the organisation through a change process. Somewhere their focus on people and valuing their inherent skills and abilities seems to have been lost. HR constantly changes the cultures of organisations adversely through their ill thought through initiatives. It is time for this to stop.

Sheila Hampshire

20 October 2010

- focus on neutrality – balance of support to all individuals – build a credible trusted, respected brand because it delivers on the following issues – sound relationships with those that matter within and outside of the organisation

What has happened to HR ? Corporate human resources function should be about people – each human being – their contribution to the organisation and their wellbeing. Recent experience indicates that HR is more about supporting the CEO and the hierarchy to the detriment of the majority of employees. In many instances HR has become the instrument of management by enforcing their views and wishes often resulting in an adverse impact on the culture of the organisation.

This is because ‘management’ has lost its way. Managers have become focused on themselves and their careers to the detriment of performance management and capability development of individuals in their teams. Many managers do not understand how to manage to achieve the best performance whilst maintaining a healthy working environment.

Many management styles are straightforward ‘bullying’, ‘playing favourites’ and ‘putting down those who are capable’ (intentionally or unintentionally). Individuals are unsure where to focus their energies, with changing priorities, workloads and deadlines as the norm. Now………HR knows this and what does it do about it …..nothing or very little. And why ? Well to do something means they would have to raise their head above the parapet and confront their management colleagues. Their management colleagues are often emulating the behaviour of their Directors and CEO … so no gains here if you want to keep your job in HR.

Endless surveys and studies tell us that individuals are feeling under increasing pressure at work. HR will put on many programmes about managing stress, dealing with bullying at work, being engaged and involved. However there is a disconnect between their satisfaction of ticking the box that ‘they have done all they could and just look at the list of programmes delivered’ … and the ‘toxic’ environment into which individuals return who have completed the programmes.

It would be so much better to focus on the simple remedy of changing the way in which the organisation is managed so that individual capability is realised, the organisation achieves its outputs … in a way that does not create stress and deplete energy.

Despite the perceived vindictive behaviour to which many individuals are subjected, it has become almost impossible for individual employees to confide confidentially in HR. As I have stated above HR is the instrument of the hierarchy and HR appears to feel compelled to relay information to the hierarchy thus disadvantaging the employee. However if a manager has an issue with an employee, HR is there supporting the manager.

Rate your HR function below – should be 4/5. Next blogs focus on achieving a different kind of HR.

Rate your HR function on key issues

1 2 3 4 5

Support to management 1 2 3 4 5  Support to individuals

Need to tell hierarchy 1 2 3 4 5 Talk in confidence

Identify talent 1 2 3 4 5  Self selecting talent

‘Favourites’ appointed 1 2 3 4 5 Fair appointments

Higher salaries new entrants 1 2 3 4 5  Higher salaries those in situ

Performance rewards moderated1 2 3 4 5Rewards excellent performance

sheila.hampshire@centell.org – Chartered Fellow Institute of Personnel Development

HR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT MENUS

Self Assessment, 360 degree, peer assessment, line manager assessment……………

What is really achieved by this disparate menu listed above ???????????????

Whatever name is given to the performance system, if it contains the following elements it is likely to instil a culture that is motivational and inspirational

o   Are the achievements aligned to the outcomes of the organisation

o   Is the capability of the individual aligned to the outcomes they need to achieve

o   Is the reward and recognition system equitable to reflect individual contribution

o   Is the overall capability of the organisation being developed to match future requirements

o   Timely , constructive, and relevant feedback happens day to day

Many performance systems are designed by hr and do not reflect the above elements.  They seem to exist in their own bubble with slight reference to business outcomes when reviewing achievement, training provided and reward. Not surprising such systems a re not valued by line managers and individuals as they lack relevance and credibility in their pressured world of ‘achieving business results’. Time that can be ill-afforded by managers and individuals is committed to holding required performance meetings and filling in forms – the end result is often a culture of grievance and disparity as the basis of the review of performance, training needs and reward is flawed.

Campaign for an effective performance system today…

Sheila Hampshire – 23 May 2008

Fried

Roasted

Best Taken Cold

????????????????

Perfectly Cooked – Over Cooked or Under Cooked – Perhaps It Did Not Require Cooking

What type of team are you working with right now.  And are you increasing or decreasing the heat on your colleagues as you work together.  How does your specialist human resources team help you to get the best out of the individual and collective efforts – does the ‘stirring spoon’ of their intervention create the ‘right’ solutions – for whom are they right ….you, others, the organisation or themselves .

Are corporate human resource teams the owners of the food supply determining what is consumed, by  whom and with what consequences or rewards.  Or are they the chefs, sourcing the best ingredients and ensuring these are used to their potential.  Or are they the front line deliverers of the products and services as they receive orders, deliver what has been requested. 

Probably they are either the consumers i.e. they benefit from the labours of the owners, chefs and deliverers of the services and products or they are the critiques using their specialist expertise to praise and criticise current practice and the end result however they have no actual involvement in the day to day running of the business.

I would like to engage with others who are interested in sharing information about the support received from their specialist human resource function.  When this function works well, it adds tangible benefits to all who work for an organisation – front line teams, management teams, directorate teams – and all feel that they are working in a positive, transparent and fair environment.  At its worst, this function can significantly de-energise the workplace through its inappropriate actions or inaction.

I look forward to your comments

Sheila Hampshire – 20 May 2008

May the Force Be With You – as you decide how to cook your journey through life