| | MAY 2023MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionBy Jayleen Stefaniuk, Senior Director, Training & Organizational Development, North Region, FirstService ResidentialTHE CORNERSTONE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, COMMUNITYThe importance of a strong company culture has been on the rise for the last number of years, and it continues to occupy the minds of hundreds if not thousands of today's leaders. Just a couple of years ago, the vast majority of organizations had staff in the same place, sharing a common address, workspace, and coffee pot. In a landscape where there was a significant amount of "togetherness," culture was highly visible. The norms, guiding principles, rules of the road, and the DNA of companies were all right there, in plain sight. They were not only easy to see, but they were also easy to feel. Today, countless organizations around the globe have become more dispersed as staff work from home or follow a hybrid model. But what happens to the strength and vitality of an organization's culture when physical togetherness becomes more limited? The answer to that depends on what happens to the workplace community. A workplace community is like any other community; it's made up of a group of people who are there for each other, who lend a helping hand because they want to ­ people who support one another in good times and rally around each other as they navigate life's many challenges. Workplace community goes so much deeper than simply having a common employer. Inherently, people need to belong, contribute their effort in meaningful ways, feel valued and respected, and aspire, learn and grow. Organizations everywhere are facing an opportunity to become even more intentional with the way they foster social and personal connections within their environments and have them become deeper, stronger, and more prevalent in the day-to-day, or they run the risk of connection eroding and becoming fragmented beyond repair, leaving behind a void that so much of today's talent long to have filled.The pandemic brought with it new and different ways of working, and now more than ever, workforces are distributed, and quite commonly, members of the same team are working in different locations, different time zones, or even in different countries. And with that comes the possibility that talent is experiencing an erosion of their overall sense of connection with both their immediate and extended teams. With a dispersed population, it's become exceedingly important for companies to apply clear and distinctive strategies that foster both connectivity and camaraderie, which may seem daunting, but can take flight with a few simple but intentional actions. Appreciation is like glue in the workplace. Deliberately tell someone specifically what you appreciate about them and see what that does to their mood, their discretionary effort, and their overall sense of belonging to the larger group. Build moments of connection into the regular routine and remind people of the organization's purpose and what can be achieved together. Communicate frequently, welcome insight and perspective from all sources, promote healthy Jayleen Stefaniuk
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