Policy: Culture starts here

Yes, I said it. 

The P-word. 

And now that I’ve said it, let me ask you this: 

What words/feelings come up for you when you hear that nasty phrase “we need to update our policies”?

Any of these seem familiar? 

• Boring
• Long
• Sit on a shelf 
• Impractical 
• Misunderstood
• Too many cooks
• Long
• Long 
• Long

Am I right? 

What if I told you it didn’t need to be this way? 

And what if I told you your policies just might be the barrier to your culture change that you weren’t even thinking about? 

Crazy? 

Maybe. 

But that’s not the point. 

This is the point (ok, 2 points): 

• Change starts with the right policies; and
• Change doesn’t have a chance with the wrong policies. 

It’s one of the first steps that should be front and centre on any culture change or people strategy roadmap. 

So if you’re struggling with turnover, burnout, and/or performance in your organization, take a look at your policies. 

I mean, REALLY look at your policies. 

And look for these 4 things. 

They should be: 

1. Brief, clearly written, and to the point: they are not procedures; they are not processes.
2. Clearly aligned to your strategic objectives: they should enable, not act as a barrier to what you are trying to accomplish. 
3. Proactively push accountability down to the appropriate level: accountability that is held solely at the C-suite level is a recipe for micromanagement and disengagement 
4. Be flexible and scalable enough to support the Future of Work: if you want to attract and retain the best, your policies need to reflect 2022 (and beyond) values such as sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, flexible work, and benefits that people actually want, to name a few. 

The P-word. 

Drives Culture. 

When was the last time you took a peek at your policies?