Culture Transcends Proximity, Just Try
There are many questions about how to build and maintain culture in hybrid work environments where more people are remote. The answers lie in the foundational elements of culture in society and the evolution of the workplace over the last two decades.
It’s important to start with what culture is. Culture is created, reinforced and, sadly, sometimes destroyed through communication. Communicating shared stories, behaviors, rituals, laws and patterns. Emphasis on the word “shared” as it is the glue that binds groups together – a shared purpose, a shared understanding and shared experience.
In society and business, it is often stories shared by family members, colleagues and neighbors that build culture and context about how a group behaves and why. While it can be easier to maintain culture through proximity and in-person interactions, social media, mobile phones and inexpensive air travel all have helped dispersed tribes stay close despite distance. We still gather in person when we can, but otherwise we stay connected thanks to technology, kind of like what we did over the last 18 months due to COVID.
As companies focus on sustaining strong cultures in a hybrid world, here’s some considerations:
Matrixed organizations have always been hybrid. How many of you manage employees you’ve never met in person? I recall the first day in a new role and learning only one person on my 60-member team worked in the same building. The rest were in other facilities and often directly reported to people who were located elsewhere. Weren’t we a hybrid team? We evolved our culture by gathering, mostly virtually but sometimes in person for an annual offsite or quarterly leadership team. We created cross-functional teams to build connection and a shared purpose. We know how to balance virtual and in-person interactions; we've been doing it for years.
Culture often varies by work site. At one company I worked, the northern California offices were empty on Fridays with most employees working from home, while teammates in LA were at their desks until after 5. Today’s businesses often result from acquisitions of companies with different cultures as well as regional differences. Leaders have always needed to balance the best of these site-specific cultures with the company-wide one.
Keep town halls virtual. After our first “virtual” town hall of the pandemic, a member of my team in Canada said, “that was the first time I felt truly connected to my colleagues during a town hall.” Her point: everyone was remote even the CEO, so all watchers and participants were on equal footing. While it’s nice to have a live audience, leaders should consider keeping at least some town halls virtual including the presenters. There’s something about everyone in the same size video box that reinforces community. There’s also the opportunity for “viewing parties” that tap the best of both worlds.
Level the playing field with technology. At the height of a pandemic, a CEO I’ve known for years said he finally realized people working remotely weren’t necessarily goofing off because he was getting a lot done. Today there are many tools to connect us whether it’s Webex, Teams or Slack and some can also help run more inclusive, productive meetings and address video fatigue. Much like FaceTiming grandma, these tools keep us connected when we can't be there in person.
More swag please. Don’t underestimate the power of swag! If someone is willing to wear your brand during non-work time, that is literally the holy grail of employee loyalty. And when people see them wearing that hat or backpack or carrying that water bottle, they understand the positive association and pride that’s on display.
Just like far-flung families or college groups adjust to people living apart, so do companies. Culture changes to reflect societal norms, and those norms have changed due to COVID. All forms of communication whether in person, written, video, etc. are required to build and maintain strong, positive cultures. And we haven’t even discussed what is being communicated. Perhaps for another blog.