#1: Poor communication about company-wide initiatives
Be as transparent and empathetic as possible.
Change is hard, and employees face times when they are concerned with job security or the future of their company. We talked in part one about the importance of being communicative, but company leaders must balance their workloads with keeping employees more informed than ever before.
Subtle signs: Are people asking the same questions over and over? Are these inquiries coupled with confusion and frustration? If you’re getting repetitive questions about company-wide initiatives, such as returning to the office or shifting organizational priorities, it’s time to take a closer look at the way you’re responding.
Slight adjustments: Keep your team apprised of anything you can share about what’s going on at a company-wide level by providing frequent feedback and engagement opportunities. Be as transparent and empathetic as possible, and align your communications with the mission and vision of the company, focusing on what you can control. For example, to address repeated questions, direct team members to the leaders and people who can assist.
#2: Lack of cross-department collaboration
Foster engagement by keeping everyone in the loop.
Most of the U.S. workforce is still working remotely or on a hybrid cadence, and employees are constantly learning how best to communicate with one another about projects, progress, goals and objectives. Staying up-to-date on other teams’ work in this environment can prove especially challenging.
Subtle signs: Look out for employees canceling meetings with colleagues outside their immediate team, or showing disinterest in what others are working on. People also may be more protective or defensive of their own projects, focusing solely on individual objectives.
Slight adjustments: Foster engagement by keeping everyone in the loop. Proactively share your own team’s successes, setbacks and progress with other departments you work closely with, and encourage them to do the same. This will show employees how their efforts impact one another while highlighting opportunities to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects.
#3: Meeting fatigue
Cut down on unnecessary meetings by implementing an “agenda rule.”
Experiencing “Zoom fatigue” is still prevalent in the workplace today. When workers face a day full of meetings with only 30 or 60 minutes in between each one, their ability to conquer problem-solving or time-consuming tasks is greatly diminished.
Subtle signs: Signs of meeting fatigue are both physical, such as tired eyes and headaches, and mental, including cognitive exhaustion; confusion over visible demeanor and non-verbal cues; and the insecurity of constantly watching yourself perform. Like most sources of company culture erosion, these can create a domino effect that leads to decreased productivity, motivation and morale.
Slight adjustments: Conduct a quarterly “meeting audit” with everyone on your team, empowering them to assess the business case for each recurring and individual meeting on their calendar. If some topics could be easily covered via email or phone, make the swap. You can also cut down on unnecessary meetings by implementing an “agenda rule:” each meeting must have at least a few bullet points describing its purpose and goals. If no one can provide this information, the meeting should be postponed.
To navigate existing changes as well as those yet to come, identify company culture erosion when it first starts, and implement fixes that will prevent it from reoccurring. Commit to constantly asking questions, listening to your people and learning about what they want from their organization and leadership to create a more positive environment for all team members.
