Despite the intense challenges of COVID19, the shift to remote and hybrid work has also delivered productivity benefits to organisations. However, the new equilibrium complicates the development, maintenance and scaling of organisational culture. A more autonomous work environment has also reinforced the need for deep-rooted values that govern workplace conduct. These conditions create the possibility for a positive structural shift in employee satisfaction, if they can be harnessed effectively.
In 2022, a large number of today’s senior executives have experienced digital disruption as an almost constant feature of their careers. Many were born in a largely analogue world, grew up in the early days of the internet and have been solving for the implications of technology-led change in one way or another for most of their working lives.
The digital era has seen a number of cycles of transformation play out. Digital distribution of products and services, cost reduction and operations efficiency, and more recently, immersive customer experiences enabled by data scalability. Amidst these commercial drivers, the one thing that remained largely untransformed was organisational culture itself. Many organisations remained siloed, bureaucratic, top-down and slow moving. Firms now increasingly realise that to sustainably deliver commercial objectives, they need to transform their cultures to embrace a new way of working and the employee expectations that come with it.
At the onset of the pandemic, Letsema already lived many of these new ways of work. Our professional services teams work in an agile, project-based environment without specific job descriptions or fixed reporting lines. We convene multi-functional teams and skillsets to respond to differing problem statements. We have a problem-solving mindset geared to dynamic environments. In a firm with Letsema’s values, these practices combine with diversity, purpose and respect to create a powerful mix.
This foundation meant that the business was able to transition into a remote work environment with little difficulty. A pattern of daily stand ups ensured regular contact and the time was used not just to manage delivery, but to create a forum where fears and concerns could be discussed and raised. This was initially about the lived experience of the pandemic, but quickly adapted to accommodate Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and other potentially divisive controversies.
An adaptive and enabling culture be have been at the centre of Letsema’s journey. Its preservation in the new equilibrium is critical to future growth. As a local challenger in a competitive market, the calibre of our people drives our success. We aspire to not only bring the technical smarts required to create value, but also to embody an aspirational mindset; that business can be a catalyst for social change. Without this DNA, our role as partners for growth will be increasingly tenuous.
For leaders grappling with similar challenges, the responsibility to be a custodian of positive culture is greater than ever. Confirming that what appears to be a positive workplace dynamic is not just the organisation drawing down on previous cultural reserves demands a vigilant, proactive approach.
Institutionalising agile management practices and establishing principles of openness and collaboration can assist in helping young, smart and diverse groups of people feel at home. Facilitating processes that used to happen more organically such as mentorship, social interaction and informal knowledge sharing, can help to raise the bar beyond the pre-pandemic level.
Beyond this, the ability to convene in-person, be it in working groups, teams, divisions or entire firms, is fundamental. Encouraging groups to meet and reconnect with each other and the institution stimulates creativity, but also fosters trust and familiarity that is essential in difficult moments.
These objectives create new demands on our physical spaces. Where the requirements are now to kick-off new projects, collaborate on work-in-progress, induct new team members and meet as a team, needs increasingly revolve around collaboration, communal and hosting space. The concept of ‘the office’ as a single destination has also changed. Replacing a fixed location with a range of options suited to different use cases promises both flexibility and more compelling experiences. Responsibly accommodating ‘out-of-town’ remote working arrangements can create symbiotic relationships that are a powerful retention tool.
With rights come responsibilities, and these accommodations require that individuals respect their obligations and their organisation’s values, especially when unsupervised. This will always come more naturally to some, but a deliberate, consistent and generous approach can do a lot to encourage adherence. Seeking out deeper values matches on the part of employers and employees will make such adherence a more natural process. If the right balance can be struck, then the promise of a more productive, fulfilled and ultimately freer working environment can be a reality.
Letsema is in the foothills of its own growth journey and so our culture continues to develop. We are certain though that our ability to scale it, nurture it and evolve it will be critical to achieving our long-term goals. For values, practices and culture to be scalable, they must transcend a physical office space into not just a remote work environment, but across South Africa and the rest of the world.
