Sustainable Excellence Xtras #71 - Management Style Change With Donald Petersen

What would you say is the biggest way to improve the culture of an organization?

According to Forbes magazine (Rolnick 3/11/2021), here are six suggestions to improving a corporate culture:

1. Share your company's mission and values - When employees feel part of something that is bigger than themselves, they tend to work harder and be more productive.

2. Be flexible with your employees when it comes to getting the work accomplished - While the work still needs to be completed on time, be flexible with your employee's schedules where possible.

3. Encourage your employees to be their authentic selves - Obviously, there needs to be some guardrails here, but the more you allow employees to be themselves, the more productive they will be. 

4. Have more cross-functional events - Implement more cross-department meetings and functions to help foster strong working relationships.

5. Increase employee recognition - Harvard Business Review indicates that recognition is the most important component of employee engagement.

6. Encourage time to play - According to Eagle Hill Consulting, 58% of employees are burned out. Give your staff time to recharge their batteries.

If you do a Google search of ways to improve corporate culture, you will come up with many more ways to improve morale. 

Back in the 1970s, Ford Motor Company was run by the grandson of Henry Ford, Henry II. Henry II was an authoritarian leader who believed in a top-down style of management.

Watch the video below to see how the new Ford CEO, Donald Petersen, changed the company management style and significantly improved the corporate culture.

​Also, please leave me a comment about what items you believe are important to improve corporate culture.