Transforming Your Workplace Culture
“I believe that all organizing is science fiction — that we are shaping the future we long for and have not yet experienced. ”
Anyone whose been part of the workforce long enough can likely recall an experience working within a toxic environment. From workplaces that feel generally uncomfortable to those riddled with conflict, existing and working within these environments impact our physical and mental well-being. And while people from all walks of life have experienced these kinds of environments, for people with marginalized identities, those experiences carry extra tension and tend to be more harmful to us.
The reason behind most toxic workplaces is simple. As Ana Maria, co-founder of Ventura Collective, shared with us during a recent workshop, many characteristics that define workplace culture — like individualism, perfectionism, either-or-thinking, defensiveness, and power hoarding — are the same characteristics that undergird white supremacy culture. Understanding this means acknowledging that these workplaces and the environments they create are systemic, which can lead to feeling small and powerless against them.
But as Untapped Leaders, we do have power available to us, and we can use it to create our ideal workplaces — even if we’ve never experienced them or believed they were possible for us. And it begins with imagining what those spaces look like, collaborating with those who share our vision, and integrating practices that help us maintain that ideal culture for ourselves and those we work with and lead.
Imagine
Before we can get into co-creating and sustaining our ideal workplace culture, we need to take some time to visualize what that can look like. Ana Maria recommends spending a few minutes practicing "joyful imagination". Think about what your ideal workplace culture looks like. What kind of people exist within it? What conversations are you having? How does it feel?
As you imagine, consider some of the following characteristics:
Collectivism and collaboration
Accountability and sustainability
Embracing change, a learning mindset, discomfort
Prioritizing needs
This time spent will be helpful as you begin to create a more supportive and empowering workplace culture.
Co-create
Co-creating your ideal workplace requires moving from imagining and intentions to action. This looks like working together to build DEI policies and embedding the characteristics of your ideal workplace culture into your companies and organizations. When developing these policies think about the following:
Positioning DEI as a company-wide framework. The work of creating workplace cultures that provide space for each of us to thrive must be a collaborative effort. For our workplace environments to be truly inclusive and welcoming for all of us, DEI efforts must be implemented and accepted throughout the company — from leadership to employees.
Democratizing responsibility and risk. As Untapped Leaders, we have the power and ability to create our dream workplaces, but the work of bringing those spaces to life can not be our sole responsibility. DEI is the responsibility of everyone. And when organizations are intentional about DEI, everyone benefits.
Assuring accountability. Fostering an environment of safety and accountability is essential for effective DEI policies. It's not enough to put the policies in place. We must also ensure that we're holding ourselves and each other accountable and creating a safe environment for those around us.
Sustain
Co-creating a workplace culture that better aligns with who we are is one part of the process. Once we create those environments, we must also do the intentional work of sustaining and maintaining those environments.
Primarily this means being intentional with how we support employees, colleagues, and fellow leaders as we initiate change. Encourage people to prioritize themselves, their rest, and their healing — and remember to do the same. Offer support for health and well-being.
Logistically, having clear KPIs to measure performance and improvement is key. Without these, it can be difficult to ensure that your efforts are moving the needle beyond the surface and throughout the organization in ways that benefit everyone.
Remember, creating our dream workplace culture is a lifelong process. It’s not something we can dream up, build, and maintain in a day or in isolation. By taking space to imagine, collaborating with those who believe in our vision, and practicing intention to sustain, we can begin to transform our workplaces for the better.