This post first appeared on LinkedIn in October 2023.
A few weeks ago, my pastor touched on the current state of juxtaposition in which we’re living. Specifically, he called out that we are more connected than ever before via social media yet experiencing historically high levels of isolation and loneliness.
As a communications professional whose work revolves around helping organizations connect and engage with their employees, I’ve been reflecting on this quite a bit.
We’re seeing the same dichotomy across the workplace, regardless of industry or role. Employers want their people to want to come to work and rally together for the business and its purpose, but employees are skeptical and frankly view work differently than in years past. We’re isolated – and feeling the impact of that – but not so sure that our workplace is the community we’re looking for to combat the loneliness epidemic.
So, where’s the rub?
Bottom line: communication alone does not equate to community.
Now hear me out, because I do NOT want to understate the importance of internal communication, which too often is missed or de-prioritized in communications plans. Rather, what I’m saying is that you can’t bank on only telling your teams about something; in particular, the less black and white topics employers everywhere are navigating like return to office/defining future workplace models, organizational culture, or business transformations. You must live it.
If you are planning for or supporting the rollout of any of the above, consider the following as you not only communicate about what’s happening, but make strides toward fostering a workplace community that people want to be part of.
It starts at the top, and you’ve got to look in the mirror. Authenticity matters and people are not afraid of calling out hypocrisy. As leaders, you must authentically show up and live out the workplace culture you aspire to build.Say you want your organization to be viewed as offering a flexible environment… Are you working in the office 24/7 without exception, or do you model to your teams that life happens and you sometimes need to sign off early to tend to a personal matter? Maybe you are concerned about burnout… are you using your own PTO, or working around the clock while “on vacation?” We expect our leaders to model the behaviors that matter to the companies they’re leading. Pay close attention to not only what you say is important, but what you do to either reinforce or unintentionally counter that.
Get middle management right. Research continues to point to an employee’s direct manager as the person with the most influence over an employee’s engagement and satisfaction. Too often, we’re promoting or hiring people into people management positions without adequate onboarding or support in leaning into the management side of the role. How much time are you giving people managers to lead their teams in the context of their other responsibilities? When push comes to shove, you’re going to unlock more high performing teams by equipping them with solid management than by continuing to make managing people just another item on the to-do list of managers – an item that’s easy to deprioritize when overwhelmed by day-to-day demands.
Steer your culture, but let it grow organically. There is value in clearly defining the culture you’re aspiring to build, including the behaviors that demonstrate it. Showcasing the stories and examples of your culture in action through omnichannel communications is critical. But fostering a culture takes time and the best organizational cultures – the work communities people want to be part of – have an added element of organic growth. You can lay the foundation, but authentically living the values and behaviors you’ve defined is how you’ll elevate your company from good to great.
Communication can help solve a lot of problems, but it’s not the blanket fix for everything. You won’t be able to communicate your way out of a disconnect between what leaders say and how employees experience their daily lives within the workplace. Don’t just assume that by talking about it, you’ll automatically build an engaged work community… make sure your actions speak at least as loud as your words.