We are making our way through a once in a generation pandemic.  Are we ready for the next one? Cringe at the thought but science is warning that the next pandemic is closer than we all care to believe.

While we may be one year into the current pandemic, hopefully you are finding a rhythm to some new version of normalcy in your life – professional and personal. Going forward, all of us need to be ready for the next new normal. So, how future-ready is your organization?

By the way, it is not all doom and gloom. Getting ready for what is next is where the fun lives!

In a recently released study by McKinsey & Company, they share nine key imperatives on how to future-ready your organization and why it is so important to do so. The key point – there is no time like the present to start. The study encourages companies to work through three core questions: “Who we are. How do we operate? How do we grow?”  The study also asserts that future-ready companies, “get clear on their purpose; know how they create value and why they’re unique; and create strong and distinct cultures that help attract and retain the best people.”

Check out the study for an in depth read on all nine imperatives. For this post, we’re going to narrow in on #3 which is tightly connected to the work we do at ParadigmNine: “Use culture as your secret sauce”. In McKinsey’s study, culture is defined as, “that unique set of behaviors, rituals, symbols, and experiences that collectively describes how we run things.”

But how do you bring all of that to life?

A key ingredient in your secret sauce: Engage and inspired employees

While getting your senior leaders to align on the kind of culture you want is critical, placing equal emphasis on earning employee buy-in is really the only way to succeed. Did you catch that we said, “earn employee buy-in”? We did, because we do not want you to take it for granted. It is not a given and it is going to take some work. Not sure where to begin? Let us help you along with a few thought starters:

1. Conduct several, small focus groups to ask employees what they value most in the culture of a company.
   !Pro tip: separate meetings into two categories: 1/with managers and 2/ with employees, to promote open dialogue. Also, invite people from different departments into one meeting and you’ll see collaboration happening in action!
2. Do an annual all-employee survey to dig deep into how people feel about your organization’s culture.

Not sure how to effectively capture employee feedback in either of these options? A few more thought starters:

1. Ask your employees what they believe to be the most important elements of their ideal workplace culture. How does your organization stack up?
2. Assess whether your employees’ expectations align with that of the leaders who set the tone for culture. Are you all aligned? If not, what bridges do you need?
3. Evaluate whether every person in your organization is clear on their role in building the culture of the company. If not, how do you help everyone get clear?
4. Make sure everyone, at every level, sees a direct line from their work to the success of the company. If not, then what?
5. Consider whether #4 even matters. (Please, say yes :)).

Whatever way you choose to capture employee feedback, be sure to go back with a summary of your findings and how you plan to incorporate key feedback themes into your plan. This will certainly help build trust and earn employee buy-in.

At ParadigmNine, our experience has taught us that amazing solutions to the most pressing issues, such as culture building, surface when you simply ask employees.

OK so you’ve defined your culture, captured employee feedback and now feel ready to hit the ground running.

Not so fast. There is still some work to do. A lot of work, in fact. How do companies begin to embed the desired culture from the top to the bottom? We have some ideas…you need a plan to shape and share your unique story and it starts with a comprehensive internal communications strategy which includes goals and objectives aligned to your business plan. Will you get every single employee on board right out of the gate? Maybe not immediately but with a set of key compelling messages to inform, inspire and engage your people, you will get there eventually.

Like culture building, communications is a long game, so you’ll need a solid tactical plan to outline where and when you’ll share your messages and measurement practices to gage effectiveness along the way.

Here is how we can help

ParadigmNine will use a multi-layered strategic approach to shape and share your company’s narrative. We’ll equip your leaders with the most effective tools to inspire, inform and engage your people. We’ll be your eyes into the future to bring you the next best in class communications strategies to help you future-ready your organization.

ParadigmNine uses the power of communications to help companies engage with people who matter the most to them.

Get in touch to learn more. We’d love to hear from you.