Culture has always been important to Lux, as we recognize that culture is what keeps a team motivated both inside and outside of the workplace. A significant element of our culture is celebration; we are energized as a team when we take the time to reflect and celebrate special moments, from promotions to new project wins. Flexibility is another key aspect of our culture, as we know that employees need to build their own workplace environment to be productive and more importantly, happy. In this new age of remote working and uncertainty, it has become even more important to lean into our culture to remind us that we have each other to turn to for support. We have successfully adapted our culture to virtual mediums, from having virtual happy hours to sharing our delivered lunches over Zoom, bridging the gaps of physical distancing.
Back in fall 2018, Lux expanded on their commitment to culture and took a deep dive into understanding the workplace culture of other organizations. Alongside SPARK Creations, we embarked on a journey to better understand workplace culture in BC by gaining first-hand insights from various culture leaders in our business community. Lux and SPARK interviewed thirty culture leaders in BC, from the Vancouver Canucks, Clio, Nintendo Canada and more, and we are proud to share the final product of this research in the BC Workplace Culture Scan Report 2020, launched by the Reframe Group on behalf of SPARK. This report provides actionable recommendations and anecdotes to support the cultural development of any organization, as seen in the sample pages below.
Some key findings from the report include:
- Workplace culture is everyone’s responsibility, but it starts with the leaders of the organization. It’s unrealistic to have employees emulate behaviour that the leaders do not even want to engage in – demonstrate consistent behaviour to formulate a cultural presence and ensure that senior leaders are open to cultural change to maintain a dynamic cultural presence during times of growth.
- Culture can be built through language and culture artifacts. These culture artifacts include how a workspace is designed, like the office layout, to intangible features like rituals and inside jokes that all contribute to how we perceive and experience an organization’s culture. These elements should be perceptible even to an outsider, as workplace culture is meant to engage the entirety of a team and must be reiterative to do so.
- Last but not least, this report also includes a thorough discussion of workplace culture trends shifting as a result of COVID-19. During times of crisis, employees are searching for wellbeing support, inclusion, and belonging. To fulfill these needs, leaders must move beyond self-awareness to self-leadership to deter negativity and foster emotional and mental strength in the workplace.
