Building Intentional Culture in Your Daily Routines and Employee Life Cycle
Creating an intentional culture within an organization is a strategic process that demands deliberate actions and constant reinforcement. Here’s a guide on how to systematically embed intentional culture through observable behaviours into your daily routines and throughout the employee life cycle, from the interview stage to career development.
Define Your Behaviours
Think of the best employees you have encountered and identify the observable behaviors that made them exceptional. Compile a list of these traits—such as “prompt responsiveness to communication” and “blame-free problem solving.” Aim for a comprehensive list; 15-30 traits are often suitable.
Interview Process
Behavior Integration: Clearly define the key behaviours you seek in candidates. Ensure these behaviors are represented in job descriptions and interview questions. You won't use all behaviours in every interview but have a list and determine which matter for each specific position.
Behavioural Interviews: Use behavioural interview techniques to evaluate candidates' alignment with your desired behaviours by asking for specific examples from their past experiences.
Behavioural Assessments: Incorporate behavioural assessments into your hiring process, including situational judgment tests that align with your organizational culture.
Onboarding
Behavioural Orientation: Include a thorough orientation in your onboarding program. Discuss observable behaviours and have the most senior person available talk to the team about them.
Mentorship Programs: Assign mentors to new hires who exemplify the desired behaviours, helping new employees quickly understand and integrate into the culture.
Interactive Training: Use interactive sessions like workshops and role-playing to reinforce key behaviours and expected actions.
Daily Routines
Daily Meetings: Spend a few minutes at the start of each regular meeting discussing the weekly observable behaviour. Share stories of how this behaviour has positively impacted the organization.
Leadership Modelling: Leaders should consistently exhibit the desired behaviours, setting an example for everyone else.
Recognition Programs: Implement recognition programs that reward employees for demonstrating key behaviours, such as shout-outs during meetings or awards.
Regular Communication: Utilize newsletters, team meetings, and intranet updates to reinforce behavioural messages and celebrate achievements.
Performance Evaluations
Behavioural Metrics: Include behavioural metrics in performance evaluations, assessing employees not only on job performance but also on how well they display the desired behaviours.
Development Plans: Develop plans that include goals related to behavioural growth and alignment, offering resources and support for improvement.
Career Development
Career Pathing: Design clear career paths aligned with desired behaviors, ensuring promotions and advancements consider both performance and behavioral fit.
Continuous Learning: Provide ongoing learning opportunities focusing on behavioral development, such as workshops, seminars, and e-learning modules.
Succession Planning: Incorporate behavioral fit into succession planning, identifying and developing future leaders who possess both the necessary skills and the desired behaviors.
Conclusion
Building an intentional culture is a continuous endeavor that requires dedication and consistency. By methodically integrating key behaviors into every phase of the employee life cycle—from the interview process to career development—organizations can cultivate a cohesive and thriving workplace culture. Remember, culture is not just what you say, but what you actively do every day. Make it intentional, and make it impactful.
