Fun perks and benefits won’t solve your turnover issue. Here’s why:

Consider for a moment that you tell me your throat is sore, head feels congested, and you’re aching all over.

“Go to Disney World,” I say. “You can’t feel bad if you’re at Disney World.”

If you could even bring yourself to go to Disney World, maybe you would temporarily forget about your sickness during a particularly exhilarating ride. However, you’d still be left feeling sick because you didn’t solve the root of the issue. The solution wasn’t sustainable.

Disney World is fun, but it doesn’t cure the flu.

Solving culture issues with superficial retreats, gifts of logo, and a happy hour is a “quick fix,” and it doesn’t lead to sustainable change.

Instead, just as a doctor might conduct a physical exam to determine your physical health, an examination needs to be done to determine your organization’s cultural health.

Furthermore, if you’re experiencing turnover and/or productivity issues, research says “fun” shouldn’t be the prescription.

Most commonly, I find communication as being the biggest barrier to the team’s success.

My prescription -

-Creating a culture code

-Being abundantly clear about expectations (both from leaders and other team members)

-Frequent, short one-on-one check-ins between team members and leaders

-Focusing on appreciation and strengths over reprimands and weaknesses

And while supermarket cake for someone’s birthday is nice, it’s just that — icing on the cake. Measurable success happens when we listen to our teams and create change from the inside out. Stop focusing so much on “team building activities” and start installing sustainable systems to improve your culture.

Interested in scheduling a one-on-one assessment to discuss the health of your organization’s culture like I mentioned above? I offer 30-minute online sessions completely free of charge. Click here to get on my calendar!