As CEOs, one of your most important responsibility is development of a positive culture that enables every individual and every team and sub team to contribute optimally and that such a high performance culture delivers organisational goals consistently over time. This however is a slow and laborious process that takes time and enormous efforts to build. Here are some of the things or actions that need to be ensured.
Fairness and transparency – in all your actions, decisions and policies must not only be ensured but more importantly you should be seen as being fair and transparent. This must be ensured through detailed system of feedbacks and regular interactions by you at all levels. Aberrations, if any, need to be communicated clearly and well in time.
Code of Conduct – Many organisations create a code of conduct or behaviour at workplace (including WFH). These are derived from the basic organisational values that emphasise high level of integrity, ethical and right behaviour along with respecting all individuals at all levels and their time and space. This code could be displayed prominently in common areas and/ or individual work stations for better internalisation by all.
Creating Trust – This is slow and could be difficult to achieve but starts with creating a sense of safety and belongingness amongst everyone. Creating spaces for interactions, giving voice to everyone across the hierarchy, active and genuine listening at all levels, visibly acknowledging, appreciating & acting on feedbacks, and having a dynamic awards / recognition of effort events are some ways to enable a culture of trust.
Accountability / Ownership – of tasks and goals at various individual and team levels must be emphasised along with the necessary delegation. While ensuring this and as part of creating trust you should also let everyone know that failure is acceptable, provided genuine efforts / action in good faith has been done and appropriate lessons are learnt to prevent repeated failures. A “No Mistake” syndrome must be avoided in the organisation.
Employee management – Need to be very deliberate in choosing good apples (star performers) while recruiting, promoting or developing organically. Simultaneously you need to have low tolerance for those that breach the of code of conduct or basic value system and integrity of the organisation (the bad apples). These bad apple(s) can have a disastrous effect on the culture. Develop a spectrum of responses for such eventuality.
Communications – This is the engine oil that keeps the vehicle called organisation running smoothly. Communication content and means of communicating must be varied to suit the importance and timeliness on the content. Initiating and reinitiating of appropriate communications and feedback, be it downward, upward or lateral / oblique and setting processes and procedures therein at all levels in the organisation remains your prime responsibility as a CEO.
Development of a vibrant, high performance culture takes time and always starts from you at the top. It therefore becomes imperative especially for startups and MSMEs that are scaling up and expanding & growing their businesses and their strength, that these aspects touched upon above are kept in mind and inculcated from the time one is laying the foundation of an organisation.