INSIGHT •

a pivotal role is through translating these values into tangible behaviour for those reporting to them , which , over time , starts to develop and entrench the company ’ s culture .

Culture carriers are therefore those who embody your organisational culture and demonstrate your values , acting as messengers . They ’ re influential and inspire others , and thus can be powerful drivers for good .

The reality in SA mines Yet we find that when we enter sites and ask the supervisors we train to define their company mission , values or purpose , they struggle . They might be able to recite what they have been told , but they ’ re unable to articulate how this translates into action . For example , if respect for others is defined as a company value , the supervisor might fail to see the connection between this attribute and how they speak to other miners .

We were recently engaged by a prominent gold mine to roll out our Supervisory Development Programme ( SDP ). They had identified their values , but they needed their front-line leaders to understand and buy into these , essentially becoming culture carriers within the organisation . Through working with them to bring these values to life and make them practical , we began to see a tangible change in the organisation , which soon became evident in the overall upsurge in productivity .

Create culture carriers The first step is always to clearly define what your company stands for , creating structure and alignment . Supervisors then need to be brought into the process and shown how these values translate into day-to-day action and behaviour . The energy of miners needs to be focused daily and leaders need to be visible , engaged and continuously carrying the culture of the organisation .

Remember , driving this process is the role of business leaders – it cannot be relegated to human resources . We notice in our assessments that when those in the upper ranks do not subscribe to their own company strategy , as seen through their behaviour , then the mine ’ s supervisors tend to rate poorly as well . There is a great deal of modelling that happens here .

The company ’ s leadership team needs to gain insight into how their workforce operates and thinks ; showing them how championing the company values ultimately will benefit them and the broader community . •

When those in the upper ranks do not subscribe to their own company strategy , as seen through their behaviour , then the mine ’ s supervisors tend to rate poorly as well .

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