# Creating a Positive and Productive Culture Within the Workplace Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-08-19 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: How Emphasising Workplace Happiness During the Great Meta Description: Discover how organisations are shifting focus from numbers to emotional intelligence for talent retention during the Great Resignation. URL: https://financedigest.com/creating-a-positive-and-productive-culture-within-the-workplacehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/istock-1211843276-1736815429597-compressed.jpg) **![](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/tricia-groff-450x344-1736815429610-compressed.jpg)** [**_Dr. Tricia Groff, Ph.D_**](https://www.drtriciagroff.com/) **_.,_** _is an executive advisor and executive_ During the Great Resignation, multiple employers shifted their emphasis from competing not only on salary but also on workplace happiness as a method for talent attraction and retention. This increased emphasis [marks a departure from the years](https://www.financedigest.com/tall-marks-its-25th-year-with-celebration-day.html "TALL Marks its 25th Year with Celebration Day ") when words like “culture” and “morale” had no representation on growth roadmaps. Organizations with multiple financial experts [face the additional challenge](https://www.financedigest.com/under-saved-and-underprepared-women-face-challenges-saving-for-retirement.html "UNDER-SAVED AND UNDERPREPARED: WOMEN FACE CHALLENGES SAVING FOR RETIREMENT") of integrating analytical thought with emotional intelligence to maximize relationships. The skillset is exactly as squishy and non-defined as it sounds, [causing many to seek the security of spreadsheets](https://www.financedigest.com/businesses-unaware-of-operational-risk-caused-by-spreadsheets.html "Businesses unaware of operational risk caused by spreadsheets") and numbers.  Numbers are clean and easy, regardless of the story they tell. Humans, on the other hand, are nuanced, difficult to predict and require energy. Because of the personal discomfort and emotional effort required to [change culture](https://www.financedigest.com/business-is-changing-is-your-culture-changing-with-it.html "Business is changing – is your culture changing with it?"), many organizations are half-hearted in their attempts or procrastinate on cultural problems until there is a crisis. The way to change the pattern is to assess the return on [investment with positive](https://www.financedigest.com/liverpools-new-chinatown-perfectly-positioned-for-property-investment-this-chinese-new-year.html "Liverpool’s New Chinatown perfectly positioned for property investment this Chinese New Year") cultures and the potential loss involved in negative ones. If the top leadership does not believe that culture is important and [impacts the bottom line](https://www.financedigest.com/the-severe-impact-of-downtime-on-companies-bottom-lines.html "The severe impact of downtime on companies’ bottom lines"), they will not invest in it. Mathematically, the rationale is clean and easy to add up. If there are excellent employees who are directly responsible for the generation of revenue or are part of a [critical support](https://www.financedigest.com/keysource-to-provide-critical-facilitiesmanagement-support-for-leeds-city-council.html "KEYSOURCE TO PROVIDE CRITICAL FACILITIESMANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR LEEDS CITY COUNCIL") chain, retaining them maximizes the return on investment (i.e., their salary). They combine their skillset and knowledge of the organization to continuously sharpen strategies and efficiencies that impact the [bottom line](https://www.financedigest.com/why-investing-in-wellbeing-can-boost-your-bottom-line.html "Why investing in wellbeing can boost your bottom line").  Conversely, turnover in these key roles results in the loss of accumulated knowledge and the loss of productive time in onboarding new people. In manufacturing terms, turnover disrupts the [supply chain](https://www.financedigest.com/ge-shares-slump-as-supply-chain-inflationary-woes-threaten-profit-outlook.html "GE shares slump as supply chain, inflationary woes threaten profit outlook"). Even if turnover is not an issue, negative cultures result in arguments and communication roadblocks that also decrease efficiency. Hence, the first step to creating a [positive](https://www.financedigest.com/alone-together-how-to-maintain-a-positive-company-culture-while-working-remotely.html "Alone together: How to maintain a positive company culture while working remotely") culture is for leadership to buy into culture architecture as a strategy for revenue generation. Once they do, the [next step is to delineate the key values they want to see](https://www.financedigest.com/britains-next-sees-lower-profit-in-2023-as-consumer-outlook-darkens.html "Britain’s Next sees lower profit in 2023 as consumer outlook darkens") reflected in the culture. For example, if an organization decides that a [positive attitude and high work ethic are two key](https://www.financedigest.com/leading-payment-platform-appoints-new-key-positions-to-help-with-growth.html "Leading Payment Platform Appoints New Key Positions to Help With Growth") themes they want to see in the organization, they will develop systems that reward or punish accordingly. People will be promoted, reprimanded, hired, and fired accordingly. The highest-level leaders will [continuously work to lead](https://www.financedigest.com/how-a-british-tech-brand-can-maintain-category-leading-position-and-continued-growth-by-investing-in-the-uk-people-and-infrastructure.html "How a British tech brand can maintain category leading position and continued growth by investing in the UK people and infrastructure") by example. For example, if an organization decides that they want to develop a culture of trust, the senior leaders will ruthlessly hold themselves accountable for providing direct and timely feedback rather than [talking behind others’ backs](https://www.financedigest.com/as-who-pandemic-pact-talks-begin-poor-countries-on-back-foot.html "As WHO pandemic pact talks begin, poor countries on back foot"). The only [way a workforce will buy](https://www.financedigest.com/5-top-ways-to-buy-ethereum.html "5 Top Ways to Buy Ethereum") into a cultural paradigm is to see it reflected in those in power. Otherwise, the hypocrisy between the sign on the wall and a leader’s behavior generates scorn and obliterates the credibility of any cultural efforts. **It is impossible to [create a positive and productive](https://www.financedigest.com/4-tips-for-creating-a-calm-workspace-to-boost-productivity.html "4 tips for creating a calm workspace to boost productivity") culture if the senior leaders are not modeling the attitudes and behaviors they want to see in the organization.** A practical element that [builds positive cultures](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture"), regardless of specific values, is the understanding of different thought processes. An over-used but practical example is that the [Head of People and the Chief Financial](https://www.financedigest.com/the-hidden-financial-woes-of-international-students-heading-for-the-uk.html "The Hidden Financial Woes of International Students Heading for the UK") Officer may have very different ways of thinking about how to drive success. Often, people back away from thought processes and personalities they cannot understand. The discrepancies result in an overload of miscommunication and misunderstandings that occur in the [trust gap](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-banks-overcome-the-tech-trust-gap.html "How can banks overcome the tech trust gap?") of two people backing away from each other. Conversely, if the Head of People decides to take on the task of creating a spreadsheet or diagram to [speak the language](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-fintechs-better-engage-zillennials-with-their-financial-health-the-answer-lies-in-speaking-to-them-in-their-own-language.html "How can fintechs better engage Zillennials with their financial health? The answer lies in speaking to them in their own language") of the CFO or the CFO takes on the task of having a conversation about emotions instead of numbers, the two will be able to find common ground. When I ask analytical [people to give compliments, or non-analytical people to think](https://www.financedigest.com/over-a-third-of-uk-people-think-thomas-whitmore-from-independence-day-will-be-joined-by-donald-trump-in-disneys-hall-of-presidents.html "Over a third of UK people think Thomas Whitmore from Independence Day will be joined by Donald Trump in Disney’s Hall of Presidents") about money, I often get fight or freeze responses. “I’m uncomfortable.” “I’d feel stupid.” Yet, the only [way to bridge people and create](https://www.financedigest.com/6-ways-how-to-create-great-tiktok-videos-for-your-business.html "6 Ways How to Create Great TikTok Videos For Your Business") cultures that unify teams is to have an umbrella culture in which “feeling stupid” is what people do to serve the larger purpose of creating alignment and trust among diverse personalities. I recently had a situation in which someone on an [executive team](https://www.financedigest.com/adnami-strengthens-executive-team-with-jorgen-gosvig-appointed-as-cfo.html "Adnami strengthens executive team with Jørgen Gosvig appointed as CFO") was repeatedly misunderstood. We held a [meeting where I simply asked questions about his thought process and allowed the rest of the team](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-maximise-your-virtual-communications-for-effective-team-meetings.html "How to maximise your virtual communications for effective team meetings") to listen in, then ask questions. After the meeting, people approached him separately to ask questions and offer support. These conversations changed the assumptions and will lower future misunderstandings. To have that conversation though, the culture had to have a basic degree of safety so that the [team member](https://www.financedigest.com/why-now-is-the-time-to-implement-a-time-saving-business-model-encouraging-team-members-to-discuss-their-challenges.html "Why now is the time to implement a time saving business model, encouraging team members to discuss their challenges") knew his disclosures wouldn’t be used to judge or criticize him. So where does an organization start in creating a great culture? The senior [leadership team](https://www.financedigest.com/tailify-bolsters-leadership-team-with-addition-of-julia-burton-brown-as-commercial-director.html "Tailify bolsters leadership team with addition of Julia Burton Brown as Commercial Director") can start with a conversation about what they want to see flow through the organization. They can then assess to see if they are modeling what they want to see reflected. From there, they can use feedback processes (questions in 1:1s, off-site conversations, cultural surveys) to assess if they are generating the culture they want. Culture exists, whether leaders put time into it or not. It is simply the understood ways of communicating and behaving, the shared knowledge about what is rewarded and punished. The cost of creating a positive culture is that those leading need to [hold up mirrors](https://www.financedigest.com/holding-a-mirror-up-to-the-finance-industry-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-dei.html "Holding a mirror up to the finance industry on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)") to themselves daily, to see if their actions are matching their words. The reward is the potential to have a cohesive and high-functioning machine, in which human synergy and alignment propel the company forward. **_Author Bio_** **:** [_Dr. Tricia Groff, Ph.D_](https://www.drtriciagroff.com/) _., is an executive advisor and executive coach who works with high achievers and their organizations. She is also a licensed psychologist who [brings 20 years](https://www.financedigest.com/ecb-engaged-in-bringing-down-inflation-to-2-in-two-to-three-years-from-now-villeroy.html "ECB engaged in bringing down inflation to 2% in two to three years from now – Villeroy") of behind-the-scenes conversations to her recommendations for workplace wellness and profitability. Dr. Groff is the author of Relational Genus: The High Achiever’s Guide to Soft-Skill Confidence in Leadership and Life._ --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---