Is Positive Workplace Culture Possible in a Digital World?
There’s no denying that the world is going digital. Organisations are housing precious data in the cloud, employees are working from home, and cyber meetings have become commonplace. These are all happening despite the pandemic — which only fuels the speed of change. Amid the transition, many leaders have wondered, “is a positive workplace culture sustainable?”
Conventionally, organisations preserve workplace culture through a particular esprit de corp among employees — at a physical space.
There are the classic pantry meet-ups, where colleagues share the latest happenings and concerns. And there are after-work catch-ups where co-workers can comfortably unwind after a hard day’s work, sometimes with their managers and leaders. Let’s not forget the occasional peering over the cubicle for a quick, friendly discussion to sort out an impasse.
The digital space takes away the “organic” activities linked to happy and thriving workplace culture. It’s easier for employees to busy themselves with private interests, silos, and tune out from their colleagues, leading to strained or estranged ties.
At least, that’s what it seems on the surface. In truth, a positive workplace culture should go beyond physical limitations. That’s how MNCs came about — via a core belief and practice that transcends national barriers, where employees stay committed to a cause.
Digitisation is the opportunity that every company needs to test and foolproof the strength of its unity. And organisational leaders can facilitate and sustain positive workplace culture across any location by understanding the fundamental changes and rules that come with the transition.
Maintain Boundaries
Work is good, but overwork is not. It’s easy to call it a day at a physical workplace, but remote operations lack the tangible cues to check out. That’s where employers can come in to encourage work-life balance among remote employees.
One effective way is through leading by example — organisational leaders should stay actively engaged during stipulated work hours and taking breaks after to rest and recharge.
While digital workplaces may seem ideal for dynamic and more restful work experiences, the opposite may be true for engaged and diligent staff. Additionally, leaders should encourage employees to keep in touch with co-workers regularly through informal conversations via voice and video chat.
Set Clear Expectations
Organisational leaders should maintain workplace rules and etiquette across digital platforms. The process should include messaging norms (i.e., avoiding emoticons or slang during formal meetings), enforcing dress codes for conferences, and banning/silencing mobile phones during communication.
Mutual respect remains a priority for positive workplace culture regardless of the operating venue. Leaders may summarise the key points in a word document or notepad and attach a link to the status of their communication channels for easy reference.
Provide Various Communication Channels
Leaders should diversify their communication methods to optimise employee engagement according to the type of information conveyed. A trusty suite of solutions should ideally include email, video conference platforms, and informal communication channels such as WhatsApp or Messenger.
Choosing the most appropriate communication channel according to the type of message or purpose increases the response and engagement of employees. For example, leaders may deliver lengthy policy changes via email while casually checking in with workers through communication apps.
Provide a Social Intranet Experience
Social Intranet is a secure digital counterpart to conventional offices, which encourages rewards, feedback, and collaboration. Leaders may encourage social intranet software for various purposes, such as connecting employees with specific professional groups with shared interests and maintaining peer-to-peer recognition via built-in tools (i.e., point systems).
Additionally, the social intranet dashboard provides users with the opportunity to share ideas and discussions openly. With customized tweaks, employers may display the latest organisational updates on their home page and communication features that enable employees to exchange informal messages such as gifs, and videos, promoting healthy interactions among co-workers.
For example, the Boston Red Sox baseball club implemented a social intranet called Home Plate, featuring regularly refreshed content such as videos and how-to-articles accessible by 350 full-timers and over a thousand part-timers. The Home plate program also includes an integrated chatbot that answers FAQs of employee benefits and related queries.
Essentially, organisational leaders may apply social intranet software as one-stop hubs to connect employees and foster a positive workplace culture from any location, keeping communication smooth, informative, and enjoyable.
Focus on a Performance-Based Culture
Ultimately, leaders should aim to maintain a performance-based culture despite the distance. Brooke Weddle, a partner at McKinsey & Co. and manager of their Organization Practice’s Portfolio, shares, “ A distinct culture defines the behaviour norms that propel it. Companies with strong culture achieve three times higher total return to shareholders than others.”
Therefore, the focus for any organisation that wishes to retain a positive workplace culture lies in maintaining behavioural norms that set the company apart from the competition. Specifically, a performance-based culture sets employees up for success, keeping them mindful of their roles and responsibilities and how their contributions affect organisational progress.
There’s a continuous need to prioritise people over numbers or business targets. The same concept applies even if a screen separates the methods. Hence, it is safe to say that a rigid performance-based culture may not “survive” or thrive across the digital transition.
Digitisation demands the emergence of an agile workplace, where flexibility, comfort, peace, and adaptability have become linchpins for organisational success. An agile setup will keep employees engaged and committed, whether it’s WFH or on-site — the epitome of workplace culture.
As the situation eases up remote work conditions, more organisations will likely gravitate towards a hybrid workplace that combines revolutionary tech with a physical connection — a mix of traditional and digital communication tools.
Rather than fretting over the downsides of the evolution, leaders can take the unique chance to enhance their positive workplace culture with newfound convenience and connectedness. Modern leaders are truly living in exciting times with many fresh possibilities.
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