COLIN ON CULTURE
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Why Psychological Safety isn't a 'Nice to Have'
Psychological safety isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s a ‘must have’ if you want high performance. However, not enough people understand how to create it. Read on to learn what it actually means and how to ‘do’ it in practice.
The 5 Types of Employees (and the 2 you need to worry about)
Meet the five employee archetypes I have encountered in my work helping organisations to transform their cultures. Understand what drives and defines each of them, plus which two to look out for and why.
Flexible vs Hybrid Work: What they mean and why it matters
Where we work - or how we structure the working week - is back in the news. Four years after the pandemic, organisations are still feeling their way around flexible and hybrid work arrangements. What do these terms actually mean? And how do you implement them successfully?
4 Ways to Jazz Up Your Culture
A recent trip to a legendary London music venue was a demonstration of what it takes to be - and stay - at the stop of your game. Here's how you can tune up your culture with inspiration from Ronnie Scott's.
Culture Rots From The Top
Toxic culture is the biggest risk to every organisation, regardless of size, industry or country. It can destroy lives, results, reputations and the organisation itself. Ignoring it will only make things worse. Take a different approach and turn toxicity around.
Are Your Stories Killing Your Culture?
Stories are the primary means of passing down cultural knowledge, values and beliefs from one generation of employees to the next. Understanding this and reframing negative narratives, seeking out positive tales and not giving air time to gossip are simple ways to ensure your culture doesn’t become a story no one wants to hear.
One employee can make a world of difference
When we go to work we have a choice. Concede that we have to accept the status quo or we can make a contribution and drive change for the better. One lone nut isn’t alone for long!
Culture Renovation: A proven blueprint for change
I’m sharing my proven four-step blueprint for successful culture renovation that can start paying dividends in as little as three months.
The Promises and Perils of AI at Work
We stand on the precipice of an AI-powered future of work. Whether it liberates us or entraps us largely depends on our ability to be the human architects and governors of these mighty technologies.
Personal vs. Team Measurement
For years now, organisations have put the emphasis on setting individual rather than team targets in the hope that it provides intrinsic motivation to contribute to team goals. It rarely does. Instead employees are motivated by the personal gains they can achieve rather than the collective goals of the team.
Are silos sabotaging your culture?
Every organisation is a collection of subcultures and, with growth, silos can be inevitable. By ensuring managers have culture building skills, these subcultures can be positive rather than destructive.
10 Undebatable Benefits of Purposeful Culture Building
Not investing in culture development is like buying all the ingredients and then expecting dinner to make itself! Here are 10 compelling reasons for working on your culture.
Empathy is the foundation of productivity
Empathy is not a ‘nice to have’. It’s the connective tissue of high performing, productive teams that enables people to do their best work without overwhelm or burn out.
Three reasons why companies fail at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion all contribute to belonging and engagement. When DEI is a pillar of your culture, it is meaningful to every employee an sends a message to the wider world.
Why 'Culture First' leaders will always succeed
When senior leaders make investment in culture their top priority, they will always reap the rewards, both in terms of business results, but also in staff engagement too.
4 Signs of Culture Window Dressing
Does the culture you are projecting to the outside world correlate with your employees’ experiences? When you window dress your culture you are creating a disconnect that will ultimately play out across the entire organisation and its performance.
Culture: Start as you mean to go on in 2024
If you want different results, take different actions. The same applies to culture and the great news is, a vibrant culture is possible for every organisation.
People just want to be respected
All most people ask for is respect. For who they are, what they believe, the value they add, the feedback they provide, the things they’ve achieved and the mistakes that they’ve made.
What does culture mean to you?
What does culture mean to you? Understand it better to create and evolve it successfully.
Does your organisation suffer from initiative-itis?
Too much on your plate? It’s time for some prioritisation and to let go of non-strategic ‘initiatives’