Screen capture is a potent tool. Last week, a screengrab recording of an MS teams call went viral. A senior leader of a bank was seen berating his team for not achieving their targets. This sparked an intense debate on the need for such behaviour in certain jobs.
Some argued that portraying aggression in status updates meetings conveys a strong message. Such traits are desired in leaders who are responsible for P&L accounts. On the other hand some condemned it in full measure. There was no place for such behaviour in the modern workplace, they argued forcefully. Notably, the bank’s social media handle replied to almost all posts with the swift action being taken for the concerned leader.
Workplaces where such behaviour is not condemned without a social media outcry are prime examples of toxic workplaces. Leaders who nurture such environments are known to be high performers, over-achievers, ambitious folks. They also seem to enjoy the confidence of senior leaders who in turn maybe responsible for perpetuating this sort of behaviour. They may adopt such behaviours as motivational tactics. But does that really improve performance?
After all, businesses depend on the financial outcomes, such as overachieving your sales targets. And therefore any means to achieve those ends should be justified. That also shows how until a social media post goes viral, these actions go unnoticed.
As the Great Resignation has shown – the modern worker is now ready to take chances in pursuit of mental peace, purpose and a meaningful life. The mere act of releasing a video online shows that the office-goers have had enough. And in the future, this is likely to become an active trend. Instead of fighting such “leaks” on the internet, it would be well suited for the corporations to instead fix corporate cultures.
There are four key actions that corporations, leaders, CXOs and most importantly HR folks can take.
Adopt a Listening Strategy
A sound listening strategy helps to capture the voice of employees. A ear to the ground helps. Nothing beats 1:1 connects but regular surveys, chatbots, suggestion box, town halls are all ways of getting a pulse on the ground. Showing intent and acting on the inputs received can help to encourage more chatter. Picking up on the chatter is the prime responsibility of all HR folks, who can guide the leadership team further to make the necessary changes.
Protect Whistleblowers
Often times even the chatter or inputs are masked as employees may be victimised. In this case it is important to have sound communication channels where misconduct can be reported without compromising identity of the whistleblowers. It is often seen that victims may take to social media only when they lose confidence in the internal systems. Or even worse, they may continue to suffer silently. But acting swiftly on the inputs received is critical to build trust.
Reward Good Practices
This is perhaps the simplest. Setting high standards, communicating them to all leaders and then rewarding them for meeting them builds a virtuous cycle. Most companies with great culture seem to have rewards systems in place which encourage certain behaviours and practices.
Lead by Example
Walk the Talk. As leaders and HR members it is important to lead by example. Demonstrating the values you espouse through your actions can definitely be a catalyst on this journey to change.
A healthy workplace is important not just for the business but also for the employees who spend 70 % of their waking time working. A culture of respect, empathy and trust helps build stronger ties and thus create higher potential within the teams.