Questions to explore

Here are some questions to help you consider how purpose-led the culture of your organisation is and what your next steps might be:

• What is the operative view of people in your business? How consistently is that view held? How do you know?
• Is there a difference between the stated values of the organisation and the ‘lived experience’ of employees, customers, suppliers, and communities in which the business operates? How do you know?
• Does your business have a set of rules or a code of conduct? What does this say about your organisation? Does it make any behavioural commitments which go beyond legal or regulatory requirements?
• How are potential leaders in your business identified and developed?
• When were your employees last asked in confidence whether their workplace has a culture of integrity and whether they can raise concerns without fear of retaliation?
• How do you seek to measure performance, and what non-financial targets do you set which are unrelated to recorded hours/sales/new business generation and other financial KPIs?
• Do employees who raise grievances or make complaints under your internal procedures for staff get to stay with you and enjoy long and happy careers? Or do they always seem to end up leaving?
• Who gets the biggest bonuses in your organisation, in relative terms, and why?