Climate refers to the prevailing attitudes and standards in a group. Based on what employees observe and experience, climate develops from what people sense is valued or treated as important in their workplace. Whether intentional or not, there is a climate at every level in your organization.
All too often, the climate of a work environment is one that has come about over time without intentional effort. It has been set by the leader, through actions taken and values displayed, both positive and negative.
As an example of how climate can be created unintentionally, consider a remote team where everyone works flexible hours during the week. One employee doesn’t keep the team apprised of his availability and is difficult to reach, which frustrates the others. The manager never holds him accountable, though, so there is no incentive for the rest of the team to be available. The climate has been set that it is not important to be communicative and responsive when working remotely.
Rather than allow a climate to form on its own, it’s better to be intentional about creating the climate you want. Climate is determined by what you Expect, Support, and Reward.
Expect, Support, Reward
What do you Expect?
As a business leader, it can be tempting to think that your expectations are obvious. Or maybe you believe that all it takes is for employees to “just use common sense” and then everyone will come to the same conclusion. Don’t. The people who report to you want to know what is expected of them. They want you to be clear about what success looks like. The clearer they can see the goal they are shooting for, the easier it is for them to achieve it.
How do you Support what you expect?
Without support, even clear expectations will simply be seen as empty demands. One of the ways business leaders support their team is by removing obstacles that fall outside the team’s authority. This could entail working across department boundaries, providing additional resources, or helping the employee think of alternative solutions. Support often comes in the form of structure, including processes and systems.
How will you Reward employees when they meet your expectations?
When an employee meets the expectations that have been set, it’s critical to acknowledge the achievement with some type of reward. This reinforces the behavior and proves that it is valuable to you as the supervisor. The reward doesn’t necessarily have to be a financial one; it could come in the form of recognition. Simply saying “Great job!” or “Thank you for getting that done” costs nothing but can have an immense impact on the staff. Properly structured financial or prize systems can also be effective in setting climate.
The concepts from this article were taken from One-to-One Process: Practicing consistent two-way communication between employee and supervisor. Available through The ReWild Group and Amazon, the book explores in-depth this and other concepts while providing illustrations to help business leaders incorporate the ideas into their organizations. Get your copy today to start benefiting from the One-to-One Process in your company.