Struggling with Office Culture as a Soft Skills Trainer: Should I Resign or Stay?

Hi Friends,

I am a Soft Skills Trainer in a company, and here none of the staff members seem to have adopted the corporate culture.

I am introducing many new ideas regarding training. For example, recently, I received permission from the operations manager to implement a new policy where everyone in the office must wear their ID cards. However, I received negative feedback from the managers themselves in response to this initiative.

Today, I asked one of the executives why she was wearing jeans on a weekday, and she mentioned that the HR manager had instructed her to do so. I approached the HR manager about this, and to my surprise, she mentioned that she doesn't see any issue with it as the executive is part of the back office staff and attire doesn't matter much, except when visiting clients. Furthermore, she mentioned that if I were to question her about wearing jeans, she would likely point out that even my team wears them.

In this office, the managers are not adhering to the office culture, and their lack of support is hindering my ability to perform my job as a trainer.

I am contemplating resigning from my position. What are your suggestions? Please ensure that everyone reads my message and kindly provide me with your valuable feedback.

Thank you in advance. 🤔🤔🤔

Hello,

Change is always resisted, but without change, there is only stagnation and decay. People feel secure in a status quo. However, changes can be brought about, and people only easily accept changes that are perceived as good.

What is your role in the company? What is people's perception of your role?

Whatever changes you desire to introduce should be sanctioned by the "management." In our culture, even today, to a large extent, people would be comfortable obeying an order yet demand democracy or to be taken into confidence before changes are "forced."

The changes you are talking about are relatively small changes. There should be no resistance, but if your bosses themselves are not clear, you will face challenges without the backing of management.

The main reasons for your present predicament, to my mind, are:

1. Your role has not been clarified to the employees at large.
2. You have neither a plan nor approval from your management to bring about the changes.
3. Your strategy to introduce these changes is either not in place or unclear.

Remember, we have a tricky job. We have to bring about changes that are not necessarily "liked" by the people. We also have to earn acceptance from people. Mere use of logic or authority does not help in this area. We have to generate "credibility" and "confidence" to perform effectively.

But why am I saying all this at this early stage only? It is because our future depends on how we start! If the management does not establish a foundation of thought first and unity of thought and action thereafter, if they do not learn to speak with one voice, you will experience resistance even in matters of company interests.

So, take care and proceed in a planned manner. The route is: your proposals and methodology, management approval, then your goodwill and approach. If all this aligns, bringing about the change will be easy and enjoyable work.

I hope this post helps.

Regards,
Samvedan
July 3, 2008

Hi Samvedan,

Thank you for your insightful suggestions. I will communicate the same to my boss and work towards resolving this issue at the earliest. I will provide an update once I have implemented your recommendations.

Thank you very much.

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for your timely suggestions. It is a small thing I do agree with. However, they are bringing lots of changes to the company. If you observe, their emails are so good that they are trying to change the office culture. But when it comes to me, they are giving me lots of surprises.

Thanks a ton! 😕

Hi Chamu,

I totally agree with the comments of Catherine. Rather than taking others' behaviors to heart, we should focus on our own KRAs. Do not carry emotions and enjoy your role.

All the best.

Regards,
Surya

Hi,

If you want to change the existing culture in the organization, you shouldn't be in a hurry. Change is a very slow process. Rather than directly telling employees what to wear and what not to wear, you can send emails on personality, dress code, and the ill effects of bad grooming. If the employees still continue to break the rules, then take a photograph of a few people who dress well along with the ones who don't dress well and put the photo on the internal website (employees with the best dress code). Ask the other employees to choose one among them and circulate the results on the internal website.

I hope these corrections help improve the clarity and professionalism of your message. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Hi,

The same problem I had encountered in my initial days in my organization. In the beginning, if you try to instruct them on what they should or shouldn't do, they will feel you are imposing things, and they will not listen. Make it a process and develop a good relationship with them. Once the relationship is formed, they will listen to you. In your sessions, try to add humor so they can enjoy while learning and show them the broader picture of the effectiveness of training and development, demonstrating how they can enhance their personality and career rather than imposing training sessions for organizational development.

Once you are able to develop interpersonal relationships, they will follow whatever you say, and they will individually approach you for the upcoming sessions. So, the bottom line is to first develop the relationship and deliver what they want, rather than delivering your own training program. You will surely get results.

Regards,
Rajeev

Hi,

I think you should adapt certain strategies to communicate to managers what you want to achieve and how beneficial it would be for the organization, instead of deciding to leave the company. This is just my suggestion, the decision ultimately rests with you.

Goodbye

Hello Chamu,

In many cases, it happens that if a person is willing to create something new and beneficial, resistance arises. This is common because people have different attitudes towards the same thing. It seems that in your case, your implementation team is not even convinced with the ideas you are planning to impart. Therefore, it is essential to first try to convince those who are responsible or should be responsible for doing so.

Regards,
Saurabh

Hi Chamu, you are a trainer in soft skills and in my opinion, the first quality of a good trainer is to have patience in anything. Resistance to change can be visible in every organization in one way or another. It may be due to gen-gap, some sort of complex, etc. But you have to try to make an initiative and you have put a lot of effort into the same. Don't panic; think out of the box and you will definitely succeed. Try to identify a small group in which you may have an upper hand and try to adapt to the changes; if you can make a visible change, mind you, you are on the right track. Don't lose heart, dear, because someday your efforts will definitely be rewarded. Wishing you all the best.

Hi,

Upon reading your post, I must firstly thank you for taking the lead in bringing changes to your organization. You must start the trend and let others follow suit. If you have a group of friends in your organization, start by encouraging them to wear their ID cards. Seeing others wearing their ID cards may prompt others to do the same. I'm using rather blunt language to express this, but some employees have a mentality where they act as if they are in the private sector yet work akin to the government sector. Keep moving forward with your ideas, and the rest will follow suit.

Goodbye.

Dear CHAMU,

I have understood the problem and the organizational culture you are working with. In most of these situations, the owner or top bosses do not like this attitude as they are highly professional. So, you can put your requirements in writing to your top bosses, not before the HR Manager. I think you will certainly get a positive reply.

Prasad
Asst. Prof.
SIBACA, Lonavala

Hi!

I think it's a tough situation to handle, but there is always a better way to do things. Please build good relations with the employees. Once they are close to them, slowly educate them about your company's culture and how it can be affected by our attitude. But you should not get disappointed, and most importantly, you should have patience and perseverance.

Hope this can help you.

Good Luck,
Bharath.

Hi Chamu,

First of all, I would like to appreciate the way you have replied to all the posts made on this thread. Secondly, most of the members have already put forward valuable tips for handling the situation. I would just like to add my bit to it.

I have worked in a call center for a brief period of time, and I would like to share my experience with you in this regard. I was a member of the HR team, and initially, I was very strict with people about wearing ID cards. Later on, I found out that since the majority of staff are in the age group of 18-25, they hate people bossing around or being strict. As other members have pointed out, first, they need to accept you as a part of the team, only then they will listen to you. Befriend them and explain in your own words why it is necessary to wear an ID card. At times, I also used to compliment them on their snap on the ID card (nothing official about it, just wanted to keep the spirits light).

Moreover, maybe they think that HR and training are two different functions, and you as a trainer can't comment on ID cards. So, if you really want to bring about discipline, then coordinate with the HR department, and you can jointly implement such changes.

Note: As always, a wonderful post by Mr. Samvedan.

I hope my post makes sense to you.

Well, Chamu, in my opinion, the best course of action in your situation is to inform your seniors about it and strive to clarify roles. Rather than pushing things, as a trainer, you should lead by example and demonstrate the importance of change.

I am a Soft Skills Trainer in a company where none of the staff exhibit corporate culture.

I am introducing numerous new training ideas. For instance, recently, I received permission from the operations manager to enforce wearing ID cards in the office. However, I faced resistance from the managers themselves.

Today, I questioned an executive about wearing jeans on weekdays, and she mentioned that the HR manager instructed her to do so.

Upon discussing this with the HR manager, she expressed that she saw no issue with it, stating that the executive is in a back-office role where attire is less critical, except when meeting clients. If I were to question her further, she might point out that even my team wears jeans.

In this office, the managers don't adhere to the office culture, hindering my training efforts.

I am considering resigning from my job. What are your suggestions?

I request everyone to read my message and provide your valuable feedback.

Thank you in advance.

Hi,

The same problem I faced when I shifted into HR. But the first thing I did was my introduction through a short email forwarded by the management to all, stating that I am here to take care of all these activities. In that way, I gained management support for my activities. You need to do the same. Whatever you have to implement, put a stamp of your management; only then will others follow suit. You will find this difficult only once; after that, you need not show them that you are so important; they will obey you.

Neesu Sharma

Hi,

Firstly, resigning is not the way. You need to see if the staff are motivated to follow what you say. Then, run a session that will motivate them and make them feel better from within to wear formals, etc. It will be a long process, but you need to hold on. This may happen to you in any organization you go to; it's how you take it. Also, make sure you put your word across taking in confidence the senior management; that is the key.

All the best,

AJ

Hi Chamu,

Looks like you want to do every thing at one go, which is little difficult. There are few point to which I request you to do a quick analysis

• How much it (all your concerns) affects individual member's contribution to the organization?
• Do you get support from Top management in such initiatives?
• Do all the employees aware of dress code and is it been told during Induction or any other such orientation programs?

If you have NO for the first one, Then I suggest just ignore all your concerns for time being and focus on your training, how it will help them to be better performers. This will create positive atmosphere for you to persuade them on the other walks of life

If you feel top management's is not sufficient, probe a little, build solid case to show them why it is important and how it will impact the business. Very importantly, tell them your plan (if you are responsible) & what support you expect from them

If awareness is an issue, then there are different ways in which you can do this. But remember to do it with a person whom they respect and relate to with in the organization.

Such a kind of initiative requires lots of support from everyone. I am sure if you can plan it well, you will achieve what you wanted to.

I am sorry if have hurt your feelings in any way

Regards,

Well, Mr. Chamu, in your case, you are standing in front of all and all against you. Why? I feel it is because you are trying to change the culture that is already prevailing in that organization. When we come from different organizations, it is our duty to blend with people, the job, the profile, but most importantly, to blend with the culture. Since no two people in this world are alike, how can the cultures be alike?

Try to blend with them; leaving the job should be the last thing you consider. If you leave the job, it reflects your susceptibility power. Mr. Chamu, you are a good guy with good ideas, but they should be shared only when you have someone to listen. If not, then you have to listen and not just hear.

Wishing you all the best for your future endeavors.

Prakhar Aditya Dwivedi

Hi buddy,

These kinds of things are very common in call centers, KPOs, and BPOs. I suggest that you do not spoil your relations with any employee for these minor reasons. If your manager doesn't have any problem with these issues, then just be cool with everyone and enjoy your work. However, at least discuss with him regarding this so that in the future, there is no discrepancy that you didn't take any disciplinary actions. Concentrate on your KRAs and stay calm. Keep it positive! 😊

Hi Chamu,

It is a really nice thing that you have observed the flaw in the company and are trying to improve the culture. Generally, it is the tendency of people to listen only to authorized persons. I think this kind of instructions (dress code, etc.) should ideally be given by HR. So, what you need to do is take your HR into your confidence first, and then you can get it done through her.

Regards,
Archana

Hi Chamu,

I am really surprised at your issue!

I feel the atmosphere in your office is relaxed while you are trying to put rules in place... why? Are people not doing their work? Wearing jeans on weekdays is not a big issue. In my company, it's fine, and employees are free to wear what they feel like (the only discipline is in terms of decency), and we are relaxed about it.

Your manager is correct in the sense that if a person has to meet a client, then it is necessary for them to be in formals, but it's their manager who has to see and think about it.

If you'll be rigid about things, people will turn against you. Rather, you should ask yourself whether such and such thing is really important or you are just following it because you have not seen someone not doing it.

If you are doing it because you have never seen someone not doing it, then why not be the first person to take a stand... but you have to understand first whether whatever is getting incorporated is really important.

Attire is for presentability, and it is a personal choice. Many organizations have realized it, and in many organizations, employees are free to wear casuals (only restriction is for controlling nudity).

Hope you would be able to release yourself from unnecessary issues and focus that your employees have the best communication and also that their body language shows positivity.

So first, YOU be Positive.

Thanks!

Regards,
Dhoop

Hello,

Yes, time will help you understand the pulse of the organization and the best ways to approach them. Formal clothing is costlier and needs care in maintenance, so people also try to resist being in formals on all days, especially women. Try to explain the importance of dress code in attitude and behavior. Explain the importance of dress code in making an impression on others, especially during business calls. What if there are immediate business calls? Then, being in formals all days will make no difference to you. Send all of them professional attitude motivating emails, stressing the advantages. Introduce a cultural day with innovative ideas to increase your acceptability in the organization.

Regards,
Swati

Chamu:

You have not mentioned a type of industry you are into. Today many companies encourage an informal work environment, culture. If at all you want to change the things as because the management has got you in to do so, please be patient in initial days. It is important to build a good rapport with employees before trying to implement it down the line. More of, it's quite common that employees will not act as required in the first email or in first instance. Make sure in process of changing something you do not hamper or disturb the existing harmony within the team. Productivity is counted in terms of money and training is a facilitation process to improve the productivity indirectly.

Let me know if the views are unaccepted.

Regards
Neelam

Dear Dhoop,

First of all, thank you for replying to my post. Secondly, if I am not mistaken, my company is heading towards becoming a World-Class Organization. That's the reason why I have been recruited as a Trainer. As a corporate professional, everyone in the company should know how to dress appropriately when coming to the office. Wearing casual attire would be more suitable if you choose to wear it on weekdays.

I hope you understand my strategy as well as the direction of my company.

Anyway, once again, thank you.

Hi Amit Joshi,

Thank you for the reply and suggestions on this issue. Actually, I am not planning to quit my job; however, I am so frustrated about it. Lots of friends on cite-hr have given me good suggestions, and even you. Now let me start implementing them ASAP.

Hi,

First of all, I would say not to resign from the job, but concentrate on the team allocated to you. Make your team the best in the company. Inspire your teammates by providing correct information about the dress code and corporate culture. This will help them avoid any issues with clients when the time comes. In my company, my colleagues faced some issues with the dress code. So, I simply posted some dress code information to everyone through emails and put up a notice about the dress code. Eventually, everyone was able to follow it. I suggest you do something similar.

Regards,
Ram

This is a very common thing to change the culture of an organization. You need time, and if you try to implement it forcefully, you will not be accepted by the staff. So, it is better to take time and let the people accept you. Everything will be normal. And don't resign. Don't take anything to heart. It's all part of what happens in any organization. So just enjoy your job. God bless you.

Discipline and office decorum should never be compromised. I think you should escalate the issue to senior management, probably the CEO. I am sure people at the top are quite sensitive to such issues and will take appropriate disciplinary action against the HR Manager and others involved.

Your hierarchy in an organization should never stop you from speaking out the right thing and highlighting incongruencies to senior management.

We need to start with an inward input - why jeans or any change is required. What's the minimum tolerance acceptable? In the modern world, the emphasis should be more on sharpening the mental agility and bonding (within a team and the organization) more than external gimmicks. Jeans should not violate a dress code. The very thought that it's not part of a formal dress code is taboo or any such stereotype thoughts.

Concepts should be developed and spread in the form of discussions to employees about decency, work culture, etc. For example, should a person wear jeans and expose the back of the body or the underwear rather than trying to implement a general Taliban ban. HR is the friend, not an enemy - it needs to usher in new concepts and fun in the workplace so that there is always a healthy respect for each other rather than wasting time incorporating ritual formats.

Chamu, I suggest you look up this site Change Management Learning Center - About Prosci (http://www.change-management.com/aboutprosci.htm). You may get some ideas.

Have a nice day.
Narasimhan

Hey Chamu,

A very simple thing to apply is how you have been asked to change certain things in your school days. You should start off by requiring everyone to come in formal dress code every Monday. The dress code should be simple: a tucked-in shirt (plain or with small checks), formal pants, and leather formal shoes for men. For ladies, a neat Salwar Kameez or Saree should be worn. Both men and women should have their dress ironed and their ID cards displayed.

Start implementing this dress code every Monday, obtain approval, and send an email to all staff members while also marking a cc to the CEO. Next, involve each team to streamline cleanliness, soft skill training, etc.

To ensure the involvement of senior staff, you need to sell the idea to them, and then everyone will automatically follow suit. Never give up on flimsy grounds; fight it out, and you will succeed.

Have a great time, and wish you all the best of luck!

Hey Chamu,

A very simple thing to apply is how you have been asked to change certain things in your school days. You should start off by implementing a formal dress code every Monday. The code can be simple, such as a tucked-in shirt (plain or small checks), formal pants, and leather formal shoes for men. For women, a neat Salwar Kameez or Saree is appropriate. Both men and women should ensure that their dress is ironed, and ID cards should be displayed.

To begin, start this initiative every Monday. Seek approval and send an email to inform everyone, with a cc to the CEO. Then, involve each team to streamline cleanliness and provide soft skills training, among other things. It's essential to get the involvement of senior staff members. You need to sell the idea to them, and once they are on board, others will follow suit.

Remember, never give up on shaky grounds; persevere, and you will succeed. Have a great time, and I wish you all the best of luck!

Hi Venkatesans,

This has already been done by me, and I have also received approval from the bosses, but the issue persists. Any suggestions, please?

Chamu,

I fully agree with Samvedan. The most important thing is credibility and rapport. I think you have joined the company recently. First, take all the managers into confidence. Understand the current style of working. Take the HR manager into confidence and build a good rapport, as HR plays a major role. People don't accept change easily. Try also giving reasons for the change. I am sure with all this you will definitely have success in your job.

Kamini

Hi Chamu,

Prasad has given a good suggestion. However, it is also very important to take your boss into confidence prior to implementing any new processes and practices. The problem lies in the difference in culture between your previous organization and your current one. It will take time, but do not compare it to your previous company or experiences.

Become friendly with your peers, try to understand their perspectives, and then you can effectively convince them to embrace the changes. Remember, resigning is not the solution at any point in time. You never know what kind of culture exists in another company.

Best of luck.

Regards,
Dhriti

Hi Chamu,

Change is the only constant thing. But it is the responsibility of HR to initiate the change in what may be culture, practices, processes. If you try to instruct the executives, then obviously they would shew you and ignore it. You have already got the answer from HR. The best way to spread change is to start with a small gang. If you can inspire and change one person, then slowly it will spread. Try talking to one of the executives whom you think can be molded and guide him/her. I'm sure as a trainer you can tell them how important personal grooming is in this corporate world. Values, attitude, behavior are all about culture and definitely can be changed. All the best, I'm sure you will come out of it.

Thanks,
Vasavi

Well... so many good people here.

I've been running through and agree on many pieces of advice here. I've applied Six Sigma projects to improve my training and training analysis. I've also been backstabbed, Chamu. Sadly, most people don't want their comfort taken from them as they imagine.

Keep up the good work. Don't let your good thoughts be lost amongst frowns. Take your time, take it easy.

My best wishes and regards, Chamu.

To all the nice people who support individuals like us - a big hug and thanks.

Hi,

This problem is mostly being encountered by many organizations. Only if you are at the top level does your voice count; otherwise, it goes in vain. It seems that you are more attuned to corporate culture. But, dear, it does happen that since many are from non-corporate culture or call centers, there is always a tendency to follow the same in the later part of your life as well.

Just to say, leaving the organization won't help you as the same also happens to me. Hence, it's better that you do what you think is okay. The rest can be left to others to decide whether to follow or not.

Hope I am not making it too personal.

Be positive when the situation is not responding. Have patience; you have to be consistent with your efforts to encourage people to follow the corporate culture and wait until the right opportunity when accepting your suggestions becomes inevitable for those people. Please don't give up; this is a challenge for you to maintain the tempo. You will find the same kind of people everywhere. Basically, this is the main task and aim of our job: to mold people by helping them realize their responsibilities and attitudes.

Dear Friend,

It seems that your company does not have a dress code policy, and as a trainer, you did the right thing by asking. With regards to your HR Manager, he/she would know best what the policy is or not. Ask the HR if they have a Code of Conduct for dress at work.

Managers: Clarify your role in the organization and then start working on what you have to do. New rules are always a heart attack for many and take a long time to adjust. You should read all policies in the organization and take the help of senior management to enforce and ensure rules and regulations are followed. Give the Managers time to adjust to your way of working and befriend them. Ask them what they think about the way you work. Ask what will help the situation improve, take their ideas, and then see the difference.

Remember: You can run, but you can't hide. So as part of the training fraternity, you should stand up for yourself and not resign. Get yourself well inducted in the organization once again.

Regards,
Caltex

Hi,

I think instead of trying to change others, you should follow them, and then automatically everyone will change.

Hey, speak to the right people - people who own and implement the policies in your organization. Tell them the issues and let them do their work while you do yours, or the end will be really bad for you. The corporate world revolves around its own rules. This industry is greed and people-driven. Stop worrying about these small issues.

Preparing for Cultural Change in the Workplace

I have read about your initiatives to improve or change the work culture in your company. If you change systems immediately without taking management into confidence, repercussions will definitely come from the employees. You might be familiar with the story of the frog. If you put a frog in boiling water, it will jump out immediately and not change. However, if you place the frog in cold water and gradually heat it, the frog will adjust itself to the changing environment and not jump out.

Therefore, first, prepare the atmosphere for the changes you want to make, and then proceed with the changes. You will definitely get results, and everyone will listen to you.

Regards, Pramod Upadhyay