Is it time for a vibe check?
I vividly recall sitting on a plane on the way to a newly acquired remote office, my mind filled with stories of how I thought it would go.
My mission: to gather feedback and, in turn, synthesize and act on that feedback…all in pursuit of fostering a thriving company culture, together as a newly combined team.
My little HR heart was filled with hope and excitement to meet my company’s newest team members. As I sat there, with my laptop perched on my lap, I felt I was on the precipice of creating meaningful connection and change. Glancing at the traveler beside me in the middle seat, I flashed a smile, hoping to share my enthusiasm. Sadly, his blank and defeated look back at me indicated…that he did not.
No matter.🤷♀️ I let my mind return to fantasizing about the visit.
I could see it now…
I would enter the office to a harmonious chorus of “Marnie!”. After all, they’ve seen my name on all the onboarding materials as the welcome wagon to the company. I’m sure they’re just excited about partnering with me on the best possible employee experience.
We would go out for lunch, share a few laughs (and quickly create new inside jokes the other offices wouldn’t get). Then, it would be back to their office, where I would conduct my focus group, collecting insightful feedback that would paint a vivid picture of our future shared company culture.
The plane then landed. And as I stepped out to the 15-degree air (did I mention it was winter?), my feedback fantasy slapped me in the face. Not today, dummy. Welcome to the ice bowl. 🏈.
Here’s what did happen:
The manager of the office greeted me and placed me in a back corner cubicle for the day. After some email checking and settling in, I ventured around the office, engaging in a series of awkward conversations where everyone seemed somewhat on edge.
“No matter,” I reassured myself. “We’ll connect during the focus group”.
I was poised to spark thought-provoking recommendations and discussions. I had a whiteboard ready, post-its in hand, and stickers (ok, maybe no stickers). I got one question in before I lost control of the whole conversation....
They unleashed a barrage of pent-up frustration on one topic. This one topic permeated their entire view of their new company.
It was a tough conversation with me on defense.
So, I returned back to my home office with my head hung and hard news to present to the boss. The hard truth was that we had missed the mark. Before envisioning the future, we needed to mend a significant breach.
During the acquisition, an undisclosed promise created distrust among the new team. Our first order of business was to rectify this broken commitment. It was a clarification issue we hadn’t realized was even an issue.
I won’t get into what that was because the moral of the story is this:
Even your best people people may think they have their finger on the pulse of employee engagement, but intentional feedback gathering is key to pinpointing the critical areas that demand your attention.
This is why I now approach feedback differently, and at Vibe, I call it the "Vibe Check" (a catchy name, right?).
Have you ever felt there was a weird vibe in your organization? Did something just feel…off?
You're not alone in sensing this, especially if your company is going through change (because who isn’t?). You've got the business sense to realize that your company's culture could use a tweak, but figuring out what exactly it is can seem…daunting. 🫠
In this context, the process of a 'vibe check' becomes invaluable. It serves as a tool for gauging the emotional and cultural climate of a team. It’s all about understanding the unspoken, and the impactful areas, that affect how a team functions.
What is a vibe check?
A well-executed vibe check is a series of actions that get to the heart of a company’s undercurrents.
Communication of what’s coming to the team
Leadership listening sessions - 1:1 conversations with leadership to gauge what keeps them up at night and gain insights into the current culture landscape considered crucial. These insights typically help shape additional areas for the survey to lean into.
More communication of what’s coming to the team
The good ol’ employee survey - which will measure how passionate and committed your employees are. This gives your team a confidential voice to shape effective action plans to increase retention and productivity.
Communication of initial results to the team
Focus groups - beyond the survey, it’s so important to take a deeper look at strengths and action areas, or question marks by looking for open-ended insights, feedback, and recommendations from the team.
More communication of what’s coming to the team.
Engagement Gameplan - the most vital piece to creating trust among your team! Don’t leave that valuable feedback on the shelf. The engagement gameplan is a prioritized roadmap filled with targeted activities and internal actions designed to bring about a more effective, sustainable culture.
Communication of gameplan to the team.
Communication of updates to the team (ongoing).
Just checking that you made a note of how often communication came up in the process? Super important. 📒
How the vibe check process can help
Creating a safe space for and culture of feedback.
Enhancing team cohesion through team emotional well-being.
Early detection of cultural misalignments before they become a bigger problem.
Building trust through transparency (remember my communication note above?)
Facilitating adaptability by providing insight into the team’s readiness for change.
The vibe check process is not just an HR tool; it’s a thoughtful approach to building and maintaining a healthy, trust-filled company culture. Incorporating regular vibe checks can help prevent the “how did we miss that?”, ensuring that both the team and the company can thrive together.
And if this seems like a lot? It doesn’t have to be. Vibe HRC offers a Vibe Check service. Give me a call, we’re happy to help.
So my friend, here’s to fewer flights filled with surprises at the end, and more proactive curiosity.
And here’s to your strong company vibes. 👊
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💖🎧🎵 I help companies with culture and people operations without stepping on their vibe.
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Want to discuss creating a strong culture or people ops function at your company?
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