Office of The Walking Dead
Management Monday: Managing Work Culture
The Walking Dead has snatched the country’s attention. While there are many wonderful things to be said about it, it might be alarming to compare anything about it to an office. However, when creativity is down, leadership is losing touch and energy has plummeted, the emotions in an office might be similar to a scene right out this hit zombie show.
1. Remember mission
2. Recruit wisely
3. Value people
The Walking Dead reminded it’s viewers that an organization or leader who stops valuing their members is destined for failure. While Rick’s group never lost sight of each person’s value, the Governor lost empathy, became cold and ultimately created a culture of distrust. Eventually he was left alone. This is a vital lesson for organizations and leaders. Not only is it crucial to remain emotionally intelligent in order to empathize with employees, but it is important to show concern as well. This can be accomplished through inviting employee opinions, investing in employee’s talents, understanding their interests, and utilizing the Five Languages for Engagement TM. Valuing employees leads to a valuable work culture.
Why has Rick’s group survived for so long? It’s because at their root is a culture of camaraderie that stems from shared values and trust. While Rick and his people fight for their lives on The Walking Dead, every organization fights for its survival in real life. Statistics show that organizations with stronger work culture experience 65% less voluntary turnover, they provide two times the stock market returns, and they generally perform two times better than the general market (Great Place to Work). The Walking Dead and statistics don’t lie. They both show that companies need to prioritize work culture by investing in their human capital.