Consistency

Consistency in the workplace refers to the practice of maintaining uniformity, reliability, and adherence to standards and expectations across various aspects of work. It involves consistently applying policies, procedures, and decision-making criteria in a fair and predictable manner. Consistency establishes a sense of reliability, fairness, and trust within an organization, leading to several important benefits.

There are two main drivers of consistency we focus on: interpersonal relationships and business practices. Leadership is a form of interpersonal relationships, and business practices can be summed up in policies and procedures. A study conducted by Forbes found that inconsistency in either decreases trust in leadership capabilities, cooperation, and discretionary effort amongst employees, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's study found that employees perform better and report higher levels of general well-being when their workplace is consistent and secure. 

A few top-level ways to foster consistency:

- Standardize policies and procedures informed by your company's core values

- Routinely communicate with your employees and encourage collaboration

- Develop clearly defined performance metrics and schedule regular reviews

Studies show that accountability increases effort as well as directly impacts overall working conditions, but 93% of employees aren't able to align with their own work because they don’t have a solid grasp on what their organization is trying to accomplish (Anne Loehr) and around 80% of people see accountability as a punishment! However, it doesn't have to be punitive. 

Accountability is when we willingly acknowledge and act on our ownership of our beliefs, behaviors, and work. That's it! It builds on the foundation created by belonging, consistency, and openness, and effective accountability balances between being proactive and reactive. 

By fostering a culture of accountability, organizations encourage employees to honor commitments, deliver on expectations, take responsibility for their work, and take initiative. This mindset promotes open communication, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. When individuals are accountable, they contribute to a positive work environment, strengthen team collaboration, and drive overall organizational success.

A few top-level ways to foster accountability:

- Prioritize maintaining a culture of belonging

- Ensure there are easy to access avenues for feedback and reporting concerns

- Implement policies that standardize accountability across all employment levels

We define openness as the intersection of transparency and vulnerability; where transparency refers to the business culture of an organization and vulnerability refers to the people culture. Both are necessary ingredients developed through consistency, accountability, belonging, and empathy. 

While openness is a critical facet of healthy organizational culture, a recent study by Catalyst showed supervisor openness directly increases discretionary effort, one of their surveys showed only 39% of employees said their manager often or always displayed openness; and only 24% said their manager was often or always vulnerable. What percentage do you think your organization would score?

A few top-level ways to foster openness:

- Invest in company-wide initiatives focused on DEI, belonging, and corporate culture

- Identify and celebrate employee strengths and accomplishments

- Be personal