How can you tell if your work culture is struggling?

Some signs are obvious: you have low retention; folks are leaving without a clear understanding of why; people are “quiet quitting”; Glassdoor reviews aren’t great; you may even have a hard time recruiting.

Sometimes, however, the signs are a bit less obvious. At taproot ventures, we look closely at the little things — beyond retention and recruiting numbers (although these are important). Little things like:

  • People not speaking up in meetings;
  • Team members working remotely going off camera;
  • Meeting structures not being inclusive;
  • No safe spaces for people to share what is going on for them – positive AND negative.

Often, these signs lead to bigger problems especially when they are systemic. So what can you do as a leader when you start to sense that your team needs help? How can you support better structures and systems in your organization?

Diagnose the Problem in Your Culture

Just like when we go to the doctor, the first step is diagnosing the problem. There are a number of tools to do this. Our recommendation is to make sure that whatever tool you choose, there are three parts vital to getting an accurate diagnosis:

  1. Make sure the assessment includes EVERYONE’S voice. Not just your supervisors or leaders, and not rooted in the “stories you tell yourself.”
  2. Make sure the measurement tool includes both quantitative and qualitative measurements.
  3. Make sure the survey, assessment, or index measures your culture holistically.

Without these three pieces in place, it is difficult to truly establish a baseline of cultural health.

Establish a Baseline of Cultural Health

The need for a holistic baseline assessment inspired our team to create the Culture Health Index (CHI). This baseline index allows for a holistic view of your culture. It results in both a baseline assessment rooted in quantitative and qualitative measurement as well as recommendations and a proposed roadmap.

You may be thinking, “OK, I know I need a baseline, but then what?” Your assessment ideally will inform your path forward. If it doesn’t, don’t choose it.

Follow These Steps to Cultivate a Healthy Culture

Meanwhile, there are things you can do with your team to start cultivating a healthy culture NOW:

  1. Request people turn their cameras on in virtual meetings.
  2. Start the meeting with a check-in (give everyone a voice) and end the meeting with a check-out (see our first installment for suggestions on how to frame these).
  3. Have 1:1s with your direct reports, ideally once a week, but at least biweekly.
  4. If you are in an office setting, schedule a time to walk around your office each day and check in with people, especially those on your team that you don’t usually have contact with. Get to know them. Help them feel seen and heard. This only needs to be 30 minutes, or three 10-minute walking sessions.
  5. Be open about your life and what is happening in your world beyond work.

What often happens when we start to create healthier teams is retention increases, your team recommends your company more, and people are happier. In the end, a diagnosis is the best way to start to tell the story of what is needed to support your organization. A healthy work culture is no longer a nice-to-have; it is vital in today’s ever-evolving world.

This article originally ran on the website of our sister brand, Women in Retail Leadership.