Page 16 - The EDGE Fall 2024
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WORKPLACE
BY JENNA MOFFITT
Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
Jenna Moffitt
In today’s workplace, especially in fields starting points, they fall short of the deeper,
like education where employee retention and research-based insights into what truly motivates
engagement are crucial, the need for a positive and engages employees.
culture has never been more pronounced. But
what is culture, and how can organizations The Science Behind Motivation and Culture
truly measure and influence it in a meaningful, Books like Primed to Perform by Neel Doshi and
research-based way? Lindsay McGregor offer a scientific approach to
understanding workplace culture. The authors
Understanding and improving workplace culture argue that high-performing cultures are those that
is about more than just "feeling good." It’s about maximize both tactical and adaptive performance.
creating an environment where employees are Tactical performance is about getting things
motivated, engaged, and supported. To do this done efficiently and effectively, while adaptive
effectively, it’s essential to ground your efforts performance is about being innovative and
in the science of motivation and workplace responsive to change. The key to unlocking
dynamics, as explored in books like Primed to both types of performance lies in understanding
Perform, Drive, and I Love It Here. motivation.
Defining Workplace Culture Similarly, Daniel Pink’s Drive breaks down the
Culture is often described as "the way things are three elements of intrinsic motivation: autonomy,
done around here." But Peter Drucker’s famous mastery, and purpose. Pink argues that employees
quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” hints are most motivated not by external rewards, but by
at something deeper — it suggests that a positive the ability to direct their own work, improve their
or negative culture has the power to override skills, and work toward something meaningful.
even the best-laid plans. Culture is not just about When organizations foster these elements,
how people feel on any given day. It's the norms, they create a culture where people are not just
behaviors, and unwritten rules that shape how compliant but truly engaged.
people work together, communicate, and achieve
their goals. In I Love It Here, Clint Pulver emphasizes the
importance of listening to employees. Those of
In many organizations, leaders acknowledge you who participated in the 2024 Summer AASBO
the importance of culture but may lack a clear Conference enjoyed Pulver’s keynote talk on
understanding of how to actively foster a leadership and participated in a little drumming. In
positive one. It’s common to hear leaders say his book he introduces the concept of “undercover
that relationships are key or that they can “feel” millennial,” where leaders proactively gather
the tone of the workplace. While these are valid feedback from employees to understand what
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16 THE EDGE FALL 2024
