Does your workplace seem fractured? Do you get the sense that your organization of 50 people is more like 50 organizations of 1 person each? Unfortunately, this is a common state of affairs in many work environments, where the urge to divide things into "manageable" pieces ends up slicing and dicing any potential for unity. Fortunately, there are some down-to-earth actions you can take to begin knitting the culture together.
Reach Out to Other Areas
For starters, make a conscious and sustained effort to connect with people who work in other work areas. If you''ve been meaning to get in touch with folks from the supply warehouse, for instance, dispense with the call and drop by for a visit. You''re guaranteed to have a richer conversation face to face, and who knows, you might learn a thing or two about the supply business. They might learn a thing or two about your role as well.
Think Cross Functional
Involve people from multiple functional areas when developing projects, teams, workshops, and internal focus groups, whatever. In fact, right now, pinpoint at least one cross-functional opportunity. What about workshops? Invite people from all corners of the workplace. What about orientation sessions for new employees? Imagine how much better that first impression would be if new employees met with a group of people who work in wide-ranging areas of the organization. Even internal focus groups or informal dialogue sessions should have a cross functional flavor.
Build Active Links Between Teams
If a work unit or division has multiple teams, conduct a quick assessment to see how well they''re communicating with each other. Just like units or offices or divisions, separate teams should be working as a single system, with regular communication flowing back and forth. Even an online system of periodic team reports is better than nothing. But be careful: don''t let this turn into a bureaucratic drain on everyone''s time. And whatever you do, don''t let the quest for alignment become a slippery slope to conformity.
Dedicate a Day to Oneness
Hold an open house just for employees. Done right, it can be the ultimate bonding event. Picture a workplace full of creative information booths put together by employees to tell the purpose, goals, and activities of each division, functional area, and unit. There can even be display areas for specific teams, giving them a chance to brag about their success stories to all walk-up visitors. Consider inviting your suppliers and customers.
Make the Most of Technology
If your organization is all over the map, literally, you face special challenges when it comes to fostering a genuine spirit of oneness. A little technical know-how can go a long way in building connections among people. A best-practices database accessible on a company intranet can make it easy to share great ideas. E-mail can give everyone the ability to reach out to everyone. And with a few minor technical flourishes, the company can have its own employee-only online mail lists and message boards. Just remember not to lean on technology when a more personal, no-tech approach is readily available.
