When I was writing my article on organizational culture for the latest issue of the ISACA杂志, I never dreamed that it would receive an assist (in a matter of speaking) from none other than the US 卫生局局长 (USSG).
请允许我解释一下.
The article discusses the cruciality of culture to a workplace, how managers can better understand the culture by assessing it, and how this assessment can be the basis for positive culture change.
But apparently, I was not the only writing about the importance of organizational culture. 2022年10月20日，美国海军“维韦克H. Murthy发布了一份30页的报告， The 卫生局局长’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, that focuses on various aspects of organization culture.
The USSG’s charge is to provide Americans with information and guidance on how to improve health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. Although the USSG is an American official, the office strives to provide sound information that meets global scientific standards.
在这份新报告中, Murthy argues that a toxic workplace culture poses a risk to the mental health of those who work there. He defined toxic workplaces as those that are often disrespectful, noninclusive, 不道德的, 残忍和辱骂. Spending considerable time in such harsh environments can have significantly deleterious effects. “Work affects both our physical and mental well-being—in good ways and bad,” he writes in the report.
In terms of the concept of workplace culture, the report is significant. 近年来, the importance of organizational culture has been increasingly recognized as a crucial factor in an organization’s overall success. 现在, 一位顶级健康专家宣布, 在不确定的时候, that toxic culture has a significant impact on the very well-being of employees themselves.
However, Murthy’s report is much more than a health warning about toxic culture. 该框架包括指导, 资源, toolkits and relevant research on how to sustain a healthy, 蓬勃发展的职场文化. And, coincidence or not, some of these 资源 tie-in nicely to my ISACA杂志 article.
例如, my article discusses how managers can conduct a culture assessment by posing a series of questions aimed at evaluating different aspects of the work culture; it contains many sample questions along these lines. 碰巧的是, Murthy’s report contains similar sample questions (which he calls reflection questions) including:
- How do workers describe feeling included (or not) in the workplace?
- Do the leaders in the workplace model healthy behaviors and boundaries?
- How is the organization ensuring that no one needs to work during their off hours?
- Does every worker understand the organization’s mission and how their work contributes to achieving it?
- What factors might be limiting the workers’ growth?
- What opportunities are there in the workplace to meaningfully recognize and appreciate workers’ efforts?
此外, my article discusses possible actions and changes organizational leaders can take if their assessment reveals that the work culture needs to be improved. 默蒂的书也是如此. His reflection questions are focused on implementing change and include:
- How can the organization facilitate more opportunities for timely and fair feedback for workers and leaders?
- How might the organization provide equitable learning and development opportunities to all workers?
- How might the organization create a culture of gratitude and affirmation among all levels of the organization?
谢谢你的帮助. 卫生局局长! Although it is unlikely you know I exist, I still enjoyed our accidental collaboration immensely.
编者按: For further insights on this topic, read 马克Tarallo’s recent Journal article, “Understanding, Assessing, Aligning and Transforming Organizational Culture,” ISACA杂志，第1卷2023.
