cultivate more welcoming workplaces that invite great talent and a wide spectrum of voices and views. Innovation, efficiency and effectiveness are characteristics of diverse organizations. So where can public-sector leaders start? It begins with genuinely listening to employees—not just gathering their input, but acting on it in meaningful ways. That’s what closes the trust gap. Senior leaders can also make the most of their management teams to bridge the divide across their dozens, hundreds or even thousands of employees. At large organizations, employees experience culture in a bubble, and the leaders of small teams have the most powerful influence on that experience. Establishing stronger and clearer communication with the middle level of the organization, and training leaders at all levels in culture building, is a strategic investment that can help amplify messages across the board. Takeaway: Culture is the crucial—and missing— component The rise of hybrid workspaces has fractured the sense of community that traditional organizational culture was built on. As a result, the workforce feels increasingly fragmented. Leaders have to reshape, redesign and redefine what culture looks like for the workforce of the future—and therein lies an 16 / Canadian Government Executive // October/November 2022 WORKFORCE incredible opportunity. In the past, organizations could allow workplace culture to develop passively, through simply being together in the same space. But what happens to a culture when it’s left unmanaged? Though requiring action and intention, it’s ultimately much more productive to find real alignment around a common purpose. The move to hybrid work gives organizations a unique opportunity to build a culture that incorporates flexibility and new thinking around the skills, leadership traits and talent that help teams thrive. As employees adapt to new ways of working, we’ve seen how investing in upskilling pays off through enhanced productivity and greater confidence that they can access the right tools for the job. But to fully realize these benefits, leaders must also model a culture that encourages remote employees to contribute, collaborate and freely share ideas in new ways. To feel like they belong, employees need the culture to resonate with their values. And that’s what leaders must respond to. But there is no one size that fits all. Culture needs to be examined and audited at the macro and micro level. We’ve been waiting for this moment: many government organizations are having conversations around building a culture that reflects the whole team, and that’s a sign of meaningful change to come. The great resignation meets the great transformation For Canada’s public sector, embracing digitized and distributed work is also a chance to save on costs. From a financial perspective, the transformations taking place today can lead to a 40% reduction in real estate footprint and a 30% reduction in locations, while also cutting operating expenses by a quarter and travel expenses by half. These are significant savings. But reimagining the government workplace of the future isn’t just about reducing real estate costs. Creating a more flexible office environment that supports new ways of working can generate significant value for employers and employees alike. We’re seeing organizations reconfigure existing spaces to include more collaborative and interactive environments that reflect today’s values, cultural norms and trends that lean on inclusivity and belonging. Aligning your real estate, workforce and technology investments can enhance the overall employee experience, which in turn helps your organization access new sources of talent while becoming more agile and productive. The rise of hybrid workspaces has fractured the sense of community that traditional organizational culture was built on. As a result, the workforce feels increasingly fragmented.
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