Focus on the Intangibles to Build a Winning Workplace Culture

Matt Becker, Senior Director, Human Resources, Red River Co-op

Matt Becker, Senior Director, Human Resources, Red River Co-op

Matt Becker is the senior director of human resources at Red River Co-op, a retailer of food and fuel in Winnipeg, MB, a husband and a proud dad to a wonderful six-year-old.

My daughter, Ellie, recently turned six. As my wife and I reflected on the day, we agreed that our daughter is growing up to be an intelligent, independent, and empathetic child. We aren’t perfect parents, but we like to believe that at least some of our child's success is attributable to how we have supported, encouraged and guided her in her formative years.

As I ruminated more on the topic, I realized that there are more parallels between raising a child and being a good employer than I had previously recognized. I am neither a parenting expert nor an authority on workplace culture, but I am immersed in both disciplines on a daily basis and can share the following observations:

1. Rewards and perks can have a strong impact at the moment, but that impact is usually short-lived. Ellie was thrilled as she opened her presents and was genuinely grateful for each gift. However, I can guarantee that only a select few will be enjoyed for years to come. Some are already forgotten. Worse – there is now an expectation that she will receive a similar quantity of gifts next year, which may not be sustainable.

"Rewards and perks can have a strong impact at the moment, but that impact is usually short-lived"

2. The biggest drivers of a successful leader/employee or parent/child relationship are intangible.

There are many excellent resources available that can help you build a successful rewards and recognition program if that’s what you’re looking to do – but generally, the return on investment is low. I will focus on the intangible elements of workplace culture that, in my experience, are infinitely more impactful. Here are my top ten questions that leaders should reflect on:

1. ‘Am I approachable?’ Your employees should feel comfortable bringing any problem they are facing to you–particularly if it’s an ‘I screwed up’ moment – and know that you’ll help them solve it without judgment. When you aren’t approachable, the problems don’t stop – they just stop involving you in the solution. This increases the potential that they will hide their mistakes. Approachable equals safe.

2. ‘Do I lead with empathy?’ Good leaders recognize that sometimes, it is their job to be the soft shoulder for someone to cry on. Leaders who have the ability to respond with compassion when someone on their team is struggling can not only make an impact on that employee’s life, they may also gain fierce loyalty from that individual.

3. ‘Do I make every decision, or do I provide leeway to act?’ It may be ‘my house, my rules,’ but nobody likes it when those rules are applied inflexibly to the point that every decision has to be made by the person in charge. Employees who have the autonomy to make their own decisions in most circumstances are always more engaged in their work than those who must follow orders blindly 100 percent of the time.

4. ‘Do I advocate for my people?’ A supportive manager helps clear barriers for their team and backs them up when they're being treated unfairly while also giving them access to new opportunities and career development.

5. ‘Do I show an interest in their lives beyond the scope of our relationship?’ You probably know a fair bit about your kids’ friends, school life, and extracurricular activities. You should also know at least some details about your employees’ lives outside of work. Do you know where they're taking their vacation? Ask them about it when they return. Do you know the names of their children or significant others? Respect boundaries, but generally, employees appreciate when their leader sees them as a person first and an employee second.

6. ‘Do I generally make life easier for them or harder?’ Weak, unimaginative leaders say ‘no’ to everything. This sends a message to their people that the leader’s needs, or the needs of the company, are always more important than their own. Try making your default answer ‘yes.’ When it has to be ‘no’ – and sometimes it will – explain why; they may not agree with your reasoning but should at least understand it.

7. ‘Do I treat them fairly, relative to their peers?’ Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! It can be easy to focus your attention on the extreme ends of the bell curve and forget everyone in the middle. It's important to be present and involved with your entire team. Don't play favorites.

8. ‘Do I help them resolve conflict?’ Unmanaged conflict rarely resolves itself, no matter how hard you look the other way.

9. ‘Am I comfortable with discipline?’ Being able to provide critical feedback, deliver difficult messages with empathy, and even discipline an employee are essential skills that leaders must have.

10. Finally, ‘Do I deliver all of the above consistently?’ Few can live those values 100 percent of the time, but if you aren’t hitting at least 90 percent, you may be seen as a Jekyll-and-Hyde leader. Authenticity and consistency are important.

It can be difficult to put the above into practice at a strategic, organization-wide level because it sounds "fluffy" and insubstantial. It’s not a ‘program’ that can be easily rolled out with quantifiable results. But it also isn’t an expense line on the financial statement. If you can deliver on the above ten questions on an individual leader level, you will have a strong workplace culture–and it won’t cost you a cent.