Tejarah Talks: Radical transparency
Published: 04:04 PM,Apr 09,2022 | EDITED : 07:04 PM,Apr 09,2022
We met up with Shatha al Maskiry, Managing Director, Protiviti Oman and Tejarah Talks panellist to explore corporate immune systems, fearless Gen Z, leadership, zero tolerance policies, caring for employees and more.
What is corporate culture?
Corporate culture is the collective beliefs, attitudes and behaviours found in the workplace that are shaped, encouraged, discouraged, tolerated or rejected depending on how well it is aligned with the personal values of employees. The stronger that alignment, the more energised and committed employees will be towards a shared and purposeful goal.
A great reference on this is Michael Watkin’s 2013 Harvard Business Review article ‘What Is Organisational Culture? And Why Should We Care?’ where he says: “culture is the organisation's immune system”. I firmly believe the stronger the culture, the stronger its resistance to toxic behaviour.
How do you see Gen Z re-shaping Omani corporate culture?
Gen Z are fearless, ambitious, restless, proud and values driven. They perform best when their beliefs are aligned with company values. They expect autonomy, transparency and a sound work-life balance. They enjoy personalising their career trajectory, getting reskilled, prefer hybrid working arrangements, continuous feedback on their performance and a psychologically safe space to experiment with ideas. They also seek out employers who foster diversity, inclusion and equity. Going forward, workplaces will have to understand the needs of Gen Z and embed them in robust policies and processes.
As long as humans are involved in doing the work, culture change will be messy. Is that a fair assessment?
Culture evolves based on a company's history, development and transformation. Changing culture is a big undertaking when organisations have been around for a while and it is challenging when the goals, roles, values and processes are not aligned.
When corporate culture does not match the values of its people, toxic behaviour emerges and seeps into the work environment so it is important not to rush change but be bold and courageous when leading such change. Know the current state of affairs, be clear on where you want to go, communicate authentically to engage and inspire everyone - leadership storytelling is highly effective. Be responsive, build a roadmap, track progress and reward positive shifts. Radical transparency is key.
How can companies keep their culture front and centre?
Leadership has by far the largest and most direct effect on company culture. In fact, they have a responsibility to demonstrate the beliefs of the company and reinforce behaviours that reflect those values. What does that mean in practice?
Well, it means an open door policy, collaboration, team meetings and family gatherings, celebrating employee achievements and contributions. It also means setting non-negotiable benchmarks, maintaining high standards in the hiring process - internal and external - providing continuous learning and development opportunities, accommodating staff needs, respecting and championing diverse perspectives, shaping rich work experiences that change beliefs and most importantly having a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, bullying and unethical conduct.
What three cultural adaptations have emerged since the onset of the pandemic that Omani businesses can use as a source of strength and innovation for the future?
We have seen so many cultural adaptations emerge as a result of the pandemic but three that stand out for me are:
o Continuous communication from leadership to foster resilience, agility and transparency.
o Prioritising learning, innovation, digitalisation and continuous change.
o Heightened emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.
How can Omani companies integrate well-being, compassion, social connection and mind-body practices to build positive workplaces?
According to a recent Aetna International study, the stigma surrounding mental well-being means that 47 per cent of employees in the UK, US, Singapore and Middle East are “unlikely” to take time off due to work-related stress. Yet we know heightened stress levels negatively affect a company’s productivity, creativity and problem-solving skills. Indeed, a WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
Thankfully, building a company culture that prioritises mental well-being can go a long way towards avoiding these workplace problems. Clearly, all aspects of wellness - physical, mental and emotional – should be embedded in company policies, processes, performance management and reward programmes. We need to realise the potential benefits of more balanced mental well-being among staff are far-reaching. In short, build a culture around caring for employees and everyone wins.
What is corporate culture?
Corporate culture is the collective beliefs, attitudes and behaviours found in the workplace that are shaped, encouraged, discouraged, tolerated or rejected depending on how well it is aligned with the personal values of employees. The stronger that alignment, the more energised and committed employees will be towards a shared and purposeful goal.
A great reference on this is Michael Watkin’s 2013 Harvard Business Review article ‘What Is Organisational Culture? And Why Should We Care?’ where he says: “culture is the organisation's immune system”. I firmly believe the stronger the culture, the stronger its resistance to toxic behaviour.
How do you see Gen Z re-shaping Omani corporate culture?
Gen Z are fearless, ambitious, restless, proud and values driven. They perform best when their beliefs are aligned with company values. They expect autonomy, transparency and a sound work-life balance. They enjoy personalising their career trajectory, getting reskilled, prefer hybrid working arrangements, continuous feedback on their performance and a psychologically safe space to experiment with ideas. They also seek out employers who foster diversity, inclusion and equity. Going forward, workplaces will have to understand the needs of Gen Z and embed them in robust policies and processes.
As long as humans are involved in doing the work, culture change will be messy. Is that a fair assessment?
Culture evolves based on a company's history, development and transformation. Changing culture is a big undertaking when organisations have been around for a while and it is challenging when the goals, roles, values and processes are not aligned.
When corporate culture does not match the values of its people, toxic behaviour emerges and seeps into the work environment so it is important not to rush change but be bold and courageous when leading such change. Know the current state of affairs, be clear on where you want to go, communicate authentically to engage and inspire everyone - leadership storytelling is highly effective. Be responsive, build a roadmap, track progress and reward positive shifts. Radical transparency is key.
How can companies keep their culture front and centre?
Leadership has by far the largest and most direct effect on company culture. In fact, they have a responsibility to demonstrate the beliefs of the company and reinforce behaviours that reflect those values. What does that mean in practice?
Well, it means an open door policy, collaboration, team meetings and family gatherings, celebrating employee achievements and contributions. It also means setting non-negotiable benchmarks, maintaining high standards in the hiring process - internal and external - providing continuous learning and development opportunities, accommodating staff needs, respecting and championing diverse perspectives, shaping rich work experiences that change beliefs and most importantly having a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, bullying and unethical conduct.
What three cultural adaptations have emerged since the onset of the pandemic that Omani businesses can use as a source of strength and innovation for the future?
We have seen so many cultural adaptations emerge as a result of the pandemic but three that stand out for me are:
o Continuous communication from leadership to foster resilience, agility and transparency.
o Prioritising learning, innovation, digitalisation and continuous change.
o Heightened emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.
How can Omani companies integrate well-being, compassion, social connection and mind-body practices to build positive workplaces?
According to a recent Aetna International study, the stigma surrounding mental well-being means that 47 per cent of employees in the UK, US, Singapore and Middle East are “unlikely” to take time off due to work-related stress. Yet we know heightened stress levels negatively affect a company’s productivity, creativity and problem-solving skills. Indeed, a WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
Thankfully, building a company culture that prioritises mental well-being can go a long way towards avoiding these workplace problems. Clearly, all aspects of wellness - physical, mental and emotional – should be embedded in company policies, processes, performance management and reward programmes. We need to realise the potential benefits of more balanced mental well-being among staff are far-reaching. In short, build a culture around caring for employees and everyone wins.