I need a discussion for week 9 and a response to 2 other classmates for my Reward, Develop, Assess and Retain

 Week 9 Discussion

COLLAPSE

Building a Growth Culture

In his article, Schwartz lists four individual and organizational components needed to build a growth culture at an organization.

Pick two of the four components that could be improved at your workplace.

Explain what is missing or ineffective in those two areas at your organization. Then, describe some specific steps that HR could take to improve those two components over the next one to two years.

Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your timezone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates’ initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your timezone.​

1st response

 RE: Week 9 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Schwartz’s article ties in very well with what Simon Sinek calls the infinite game. According to him, performance culture has leaders with finite mindsets, based on metrics that are defined by the leaders and not a reflection of what business actually should be. According to him having an infinite mindset unleashes the potential of the employees much more than the pressure of meeting targets that leaders conjure up with no logic (1).  

The two components that jumped out at me are “a feeling of safety” and “continuous learning.”

Component 1: A feeling of safety

Our organisation is relatively small. Every little action is unfiltered from the top, and therefore if the actions are negative, it has a big impact on the organisation. In our case, our CEO has not created a safe environment for firstly her executive managers and as a knock-on effect, the rest of the employees. The main reason I have identified is that she sits in an ivory tower, and decisions are made based on her opinions and very little consultation. According to the lecture notes of this week, trust is a key element to the successful culture of an organisation (2). It’s evident that our CEO does not trust her management team, and the result is that three top managers over the past three weeks have resigned. The lecture notes continue to explain that up to 75% of people resign because of their boss, and in this case, it’s evident (2).

Remedy
There are three:

1. Trust – Our CEO is relatable on a social level, but extremely removed in the workplace. She needs to start trusting her managers’ expertise and allow them to make decisions for their team, based on their insights.
2. Vulnerable – The CEO and then the executive managers should make themselves more vulnerable. Admitting their mistakes, not hiding behind it and not blame-shifting. If our CEO would engage with the employees and sincerely admit the challenges we’ve face during this year, it will go a long way
3. Available – Even though the executive managers are available, the CEO is far removed from the organisation. This can be overcome by a simple walk of the floor and casual discussions with team members, instead of “hiding” in her office.

Component 2 – Continuous learning
Judgement, gossip and lack of transparency are rife in the organisation. According to Schwartz, this is the antithesis of what continuous learning is (1). Lack of transparency and inter-departmental rivalry causes rifts amongst people, which has not been addressed by leaders. Rumours spread regularly and especially in this period after the three executive managers have resigned, there is speculation over why etc., which has not been addressed by the CEO. There’s a real lack of communication on her behalf, and that has led people to worry about their own future and that of the organisation. It stifles learning and innovation because people are too afraid to share their thinking or ideas.

Remedy
Schwartz says inquiry, curiosity and transparency is the right approach (2). Our organisation should start with transparency which will go a long way to thwart the rumour mill. To do that, constant communication by the executive managers should happen as a follow on by managers. A quick email from the CEO that looks cold and clinical does not do the job. Discussions should happen, and feedback on matters should be encouraged. This is something Satya Nadella implemented at Microsoft when he took over the CEO position. According to the London School of Business, Nadella said that they needed to prioritise innovation that is centred on their core values of empowering users and organisations to do more (3). The way he wanted to do that was through instilling a growth mindset in his organisation, by doing that he turned Microsoft around and innovation soared. Empathy, transparency and the openness to learn from failures were are the forefront of creating a safe space for employees to thrive. Through that Schwartz exclaims that you can liberate an infinite amount of energy from your employees (2).

References:

1. Sinek, S. 2018. New York Times Events. The Infinite Game. From the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tye525dkfi8
2. Schwartz, T. 2018. HBR. Create a Growth Culture Not a Performance-Obsessed One
3. Herminia Ibarra, Aneeta Rattan & Anna Johnston. June 2018. Satya Nadella at Microsoft: Instilling a growth mindset. London Business School

2nd Response

 RE: Week 9 DiscussionCOLLAPSE
Pick two of the four components that could be improved at your workplace. Explain what is missing or ineffective in those two areas at your organization. Then, describe some specific steps that HR could take to improve those two components over the next one to two years.
Pick two of the four components that could be improved at your workplace.

I chose continuous feedback and feeling safe.

Explain what is missing or ineffective in those two areas of your organization.

In our organization, they both are missing consistency in the two items. They often start continuous feedback about a topic and never really care what the response is, and there is no change. The only thing we hear is a promise of change and then get no answer. The feeling safe part comes with particular limits. There are unspoken rules in the office that you must do to feel safe. There is a lot of tiptoeing around people to make sure you feel safe in my book. That is not feeling safe at all.  The employees use to use the union to feel safe, but now the union is not very strong as they use to be.

 Then, describe some specific steps that HR could take to improve those two components over the next two years.

The steps I believe they can do over the next few years could be having meetings quarterly and have people do more forward feeding (1). The more you look at the past, the longer the company will point fingers and do nothing. Instead, there need to be more hard examples and action to show what the goal should officially be. The plan needs to be very tangible and measurable for every one (2). The more people see that the upper management cares, the better it will get all over the office. The more you include the employees in the solution, the more the improvements will happen.

For the office to do better on feeling safe, I would show the employees that they are safe in voicing the candid opinions. The more forthcoming the employees are, the better they would be to improve the office’s problems. They can also show that management is actively listening. They can make their employees feel safe by reuniting the union and having the union, and there are diversity and inclusion in everything they do (3). The sense of belonging makes people feel safe.

Tiara Collins

1. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/viewpoint-managing-challenge-constant-feedback-emerging-adult-employees.aspx
2. Jack Welch. (2008). Winning.
3. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/make-your-employees-psychologically-safe

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JWI 521 – Week 9 Lecture Notes (1192) Page 1 of 5

JWI 521
Recruit, Develop, Assess, Reward, Retain

Week Nine Lecture Notes

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JWI 521 – Week 9 Lecture Notes (1192) Page 2 of 5

A WINNING CULTURE

What it Means

The culture of a company is hard to define, but most employees will tell you that they know a good
organizational culture when they experience it. Culture is inherent in the environment in which employees
work, and it is expressed in the company’s mission, business practices, goals, expectations of its
employees, and relationship with the wider community. It is the responsibility of business leaders to set the
cultural values and behaviors for their company, and to embody those values and behaviors in their
leadership style.

A positive workplace culture is important because it will attract talented and committed people, enable
productive business practices, foster innovation, and build employee engagement. While a company’s
culture will always have some core features that persist, it must also be flexible enough to adapt and change
over time, so as to remain relevant in today’s fast-changing marketplace.

Why it Matters

• A strong workplace culture attracts high-caliber candidates and supports retention of top talent
• A positive culture drives engagement through shared values and behaviors in the workplace
• Organizations with stronger cultures outperform their competitors financially

“Trust happens when leaders are
transparent, candid, and keep their word.

It’s that simple.”

Jack Welch

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JWI 521 – Week 9 Lecture Notes (1192) Page 3 of 5

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Once you have hired excellent people and placed them in strategic positions, what determines whether they
stay and succeed in your company? One key part of the answer is the organization’s culture. Does your
company have a culture that allows high performers to try new things, develop professionally, learn from
failure, and experience the rewards of success? To answer such questions, let’s look more closely at the
concept of culture. What is culture and how do you cultivate a winning one?

The organizational culture is the character or personality of a company. It defines the environment in which
employees work. It comprises many elements, such as work environment, company mission, values, ethics,
expectations, and goals. A positive workplace culture attracts talent, drives engagement, impacts employee
satisfaction and affects performance. In other words, it enables your business to compete and win. Building
a strong culture takes time and commitment, but is arguably the most important aspect of your workplace.

It is important to remember that an organization’s culture, like an individual’s personality, is not a static entity.
It is based on certain core beliefs and values, but it is must also grow and adapt over time. Grand ideas in a
mission statement achieve nothing if they are not put into action. Culture is represented by the values that
the people of the organization truly live by. To embody the company’s culture, leaders must understand and
believe in the core values and behaviors of the organization, and they must hold themselves, their
managers, and all employees to those values and behaviors every single day.

Culture is what makes your business unique; it is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions,
behaviors, and attitudes at any given time in its history. When you understand this definition of culture, it
becomes clear how important it is to define and express your company’s cultural values, and to put those
values into action in your current business environment. It also becomes clear how critical it is to hire people
who fit well into your culture, because their personal belief systems and values align with those of the
organization.

WHAT MAKES A WINNING CULTURE?

While there are many successful companies, with varying cultural styles and missions, certain key elements
can be identified that make for a strong and winning business culture.

Trust

If you want to be trusted, you must demonstrate that you trust others. A culture of trust is imperative if your
organization is to grow, innovate, and succeed in the marketplace. If you micro-manage your employees, it
will directly conflict with the building of trust. What if they make a mistake? Any successful entrepreneur will
tell you that they will make mistakes, but also that those mistakes can lead to valuable learning. Perfection is
not a realistic or productive goal. Professional growth and application of lessons learned are much better
goals. Check in regularly with your employees, but do not micro-manage them. Give them clear guidelines
and then let them spread their wings.

© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

JWI 521 – Week 9 Lecture Notes (1192) Page 4 of 5

Effective Leadership

One critical element supporting positive employee engagement is the relationship between a manager and
their direct report. This relationship is the linchpin of an engaged and satisfied workforce. Surveys suggest
that 75 percent of people who choose to leave their job do so because of their boss, not the company. If your
managers do not relate well to their people and manage them effectively, you can be certain that it is hurting
your company culture, increasing turnover, and reducing your bottom line. At the same time, effective
leadership by the executive team is vital because it sets the direction and tone for the whole organization,
impacting employees at every level.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Companies that clearly define the purpose of their work will attract and retain the best talent, and their
workforce will develop a team spirit. It is the job of the executive leadership team to create and communicate
a clear and inspiring mission, vision, and set of values. Leaders and managers should take the lead in
expressing the company’s core values through their own actions and behaviors. Employees who are
convinced of a larger common goal are people who are excited to work because they view their role as part
of a larger purpose.

Ownership and Growth

A strong company culture encourages employees to see their work as more than just a job that pays the
bills. You want them to own their job and feel invested in their own ideas and their team’s ideas. If you build
a collaborative, trusting environment, where employees feel invested in the organization’s success, they will
bring ideas to the table. If an employee brings you a great idea, put them in charge of it, or involve them in
the team that implements it! If an employee wants to learn something new, provide support for them to do it.
Today’s successful companies do not hire people to remain in the same job indefinitely; they hire innovators
who will contribute to the future of the company.

Communication

This is a key area of culture and the one that is often neglected. The founder of a startup can be so focused
on pursuing his or her idea, that communication with other people gets neglected. The executive team can
become disconnected from the concerns and needs of the majority of their employees. In large companies
with many departments, silos can develop, where different business units operate separately and lose touch
with each other. When communication is poor, the business suffers operationally and financially.

However, the importance of good communication goes beyond business targets and processes. The
company’s cultural values must also be conveyed to employees. How is this to be done? To achieve this,
communicate goals to your team based on the company’s mission. Demonstrate the company’s values in
your leadership style through trust and candor. For example, if an employee is not performing well, don’t
ignore the issue, but take action. Engage in thoughtful conversations about the challenges and create a plan
for improvement. Be authentic and honest with your team. Have regular meetings with all of your direct
reports to review plans and goals. And when your employee or your team has a win, be sure to celebrate!

https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/simple-trick-to-finding-extraordinary-employees.html

© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

JWI 521 – Week 9 Lecture Notes (1192) Page 5 of 5

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS WEEK’S CLASS

As you read the materials and participate in class activities, stay focused on the key learning outcomes for
the week:

• Understand the importance of culture in attracting and retaining top talent

A top performer who feels aligned with the mission and values of their company is far less
susceptible to job offers from the competition. Is this factor in hiring and retention well-understood at
your organization? Is the company culture used as an inducement to attract and retain high
performers? If so, how does this happen? Is the culture implied in the wording of job descriptions?
Are new hires assessed for their fit with the culture, as well as other desirable traits like relevant
skills and experience? Is there a pipeline of top performers aligned with the company culture to fill
future leadership positions? If not, what could HR do to support change in this area?

• Discuss how companies can retain high-performing employees

Your top performers are a valuable resource, and your competitors think so, too. They will try to
attract your top people to come and work for them. What will it take to retain your top talent?
Promotions and pay raises can only do so much, since there is always another company out there
that is willing to offer more money. This is where intangibles such as the company culture,
opportunities for leadership, challenging projects, freedom to innovate, and recognition can be
important. Does your company use these tools effectively to retain its high-performing employees? If
not, how could HR help to raise awareness of such non-financial retention tools?

• Explore what factors create a healthy and strong organizational culture

Take a look at your own organization’s culture, as expressed in the company mission, values,
leadership practices, traditions, goals, and expectations. Do you consider it to be a positive and
strong workplace culture? If so, what makes it successful? If not, what required factors are
lacking? Since there is always room for improvement, how can the positive aspects of your
culture be reinforced? How will the culture need to adapt to keep your company competitive
and strong in the future? How can you keep the organization’s core cultural values intact, while
remaining flexible enough to meet future challenges in your industry and sector?