A well-known internet services provider assures excellent speed and uptime. They have a simple process to report issues (or raise complaints), and the same is promptly attended to – subject to those being technical issues.
Once a tech issue is resolved, a support exec follows up to confirm if services are restored, and also requests to call them on their number in case of future issues. Having heard this request a few times, I wondered what prompts them to promote the ticketless route to resolving issues.
For any IT services provider, a key performance indicator is service uptime and number of complaints. This company’s technical staff urging customers to reach them directly in case of issues got me wondering what could be forcing them to place such requests with their customers.
WHAT SHAPES WORK CULTURE
A probable reason is the consequence of complaints on the people working in the technical teams. In many companies, there is a sword hanging over people’s necks. Variations in performance not only impact their incentives, but the way they are treated when complaints increase. Many organisations adopt this approach of penalising people for blips in performance. This creates a culture of fear, avoidance of ownership, and not being transparent about problems.
The operating culture at the workplace has a direct impact on how their people behave, and thus on the organisation’s brand. When leaders and managers practice pushing their employees to the wall and creating an environment of fear, it results in their people not giving their best, not bringing their whole self to work, and not being proud of the brand they work for. This shows up in everyday interactions these employees have internally, as well as with customers.
The results are a toxic workplace, siloed thinking, and avoidance of ownership. A sampling of employee stories (and Glassdoor reviews) is enough to provide evidence of culture-related problems.
Bringing a shift in work culture
Culture is the most critical brand-building element. Employee engagement surveys are one way to understand the culture gaps at the workplace. Promoting a conducive culture starts with leaders getting the company core story in place, and then working to align their people, policies and operations to that core story.
If leaders and managers find gaps in aligning their people to the desired culture, then storytelling is a great way to help employees put core values into practice.
Happy to chat up about this!