Take the time to define your culture, engage your team, and make this a central part of your operational strategy – the rewards are well worth the effort.
According to ASCE’s 2023 Salary Report, 86.7 percent of civil engineers are satisfied or very satisfied with their job, 66.3 percent are satisfied or very satisfied with their financial compensation, and they report having opportunities for career growth. Although these numbers are optimistic, it’s important to focus on retaining employees throughout the year. Culture is key and firms can build on that by creating avenues that help foster relationships for employees with their peers and encourage people-centered change by providing adequate support and genuine communication to help employees feel seen and valued.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This famous quote from management consultant Peter Drucker resonates with many business leaders, including me. As a business unit director at SCS Engineers, I have always prioritized maintaining a strong organizational culture, yet I recently noticed something was amiss. Despite solid financial performance, our high turnover rates indicated a disconnect that needed to be addressed.
In search of solutions, I turned to Matt Mayberry’s insightful book Culture is the Way. What struck me was not the need for change but the necessity of clearly defining our culture. We needed a framework to guide our efforts and enhance our environment. We accomplished this by:
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Empowering our team. To start this journey, we empowered our team to help define our culture. We conducted a survey across our business unit, asking employees to describe what they believed our culture to be. The responses were compiled into a word cloud, highlighting common themes: the larger the word, the more frequently it was mentioned. While many of the words reflected a healthy, high-performing culture, we also noticed inconsistencies among different groups. This disparity highlighted a need for clarity.
My leadership team and I carefully reviewed the survey results, distilling the feedback into its purest form. From this process emerged our culture statement: “Trust, Care, Grow.” This statement was simple, memorable, and resonated with the sentiments expressed in the survey. -
Validating our culture statement. To ensure this message truly captured our essence, we conducted a follow-up survey. The feedback confirmed that “Trust, Care, Grow” encapsulated our culture perfectly. This statement became our guiding principle, a tangible goal for all employees to strive toward.
We officially launched our culture statement during an all-business unit meeting, integrating it into our internal communications. Now, at the beginning of each meeting, we dedicate a “culture minute” where team members share stories that exemplify our values in action. This practice reinforces our commitment to living out our culture daily. -
Recognizing the impact of our cultural shift. The results of this cultural recalibration have been striking. Since implementing the “Trust, Care, Grow” framework, our financial performance has reached record levels, employee retention has improved significantly, and morale is at an all-time high. In fact, our turnover rate has decreased by more than 5 percent year-over-year, showcasing a direct correlation between our defined culture and employee satisfaction.
We recognized the importance of not keeping our culture statement to ourselves. It has become a key element in our recruiting efforts, client meetings, and proposals, serving as a source of pride and a testament to our shared values. - Maintaining momentum. As we reflect on this journey, it’s clear that defining and actively promoting a culture isn’t a one-time effort. It requires consistent engagement and commitment. We’ve learned that open communication and camaraderie among team members are crucial for fostering a supportive environment.
Defining and nurturing a strong culture can transform an organization. By involving our team in the process and continuously reinforcing our values, we have seen tangible results: reduced turnover, increased revenues, and enhanced profitability. If you want to elevate your organization, take the time to define your culture, engage your team, and make it a central part of your operational strategy. The rewards are well worth the effort.
Carlo Lebron, PE, is a senior vice president and the business unit director of the Southeast Business Unit for SCS Engineers. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
