As we reach the middle of November, many of us are just kicking our program calendars into gear while others are thinking about end-of-year reviews. With the recent release of Leading Edge’s Sixth Annual Employee Experience Survey, we also know that several organizations are reviewing the results and considering what next steps they can take to improve their workplace culture.
It is the perfect time of year to take the data we gathered through the reflection and feedback of the past few months and use it as a catalyst for concrete action and change.
All through September and October, we engaged in processes of assessment and introspection with the start of both the academic calendar and the Jewish New Year. When engaging in the slow and oft difficult process of change, it can be easy to get stuck in this information-gathering phase; we brainstorm, read books, collect feedback, form discussion groups and more in preparation for “the perfect moment” when the ideas we generate will come to fruition. While each stage in this process is an important step toward change in and of itself, the process remains incomplete without translating the learning into action.
OK, WE SEE OUR
AREAS FOR GROWTH.
NOW WHAT?
Regardless of if you’re a senior leader, an impassioned congregant, or a recent intern at your org, you may be looking around and thinking,
“I want to make this place better, but how do I get started?”
It can be easy in these moments to feel overwhelmed, and believe us when we say, we see you! We know how it feels to be unsure of how or where to begin when faced with what feels like a long road ahead. The most important thing we've learned is to continue moving in the direction of change through concrete action steps. Consider using the types of questions we ask ourselves to get started:
- What are the pressing needs of my organization?
- What do I need to create movement around this change?
- Who at my organization could help me implement this change?
These questions can help you identify tangible ways to kick off a plan forward. Remember, it may sound obvious, but starting with just one area of focus, such as timely and transparent communication, creating more opportunities for feedback, or any other aspect of improving healthy and equitable workplace culture, can ultimately lead to more progress overall than trying to tackle everything at once. Progress comes one step at a time. If you are unsure about what steps to take, make sure to lean on the networks and resources that can support you – you don’t need to go it alone.
