Why Zebras are good for business

We all know that a zebra cannot change its stripes. Zebras are quite literally individual - they are also social animals that live in small tribes or large herds.
 
It struck us at Live Culture Company that this is how organisations should operate in their pursuit of developing and nurturing purpose-driven cultures. Organisations should foster an environment where individuals can bring their unique attributes and their whole self, to the workplace. Where their uniqueness and individual strengths are something to be celebrated rather than toned down. When organisations do this, we’ve noticed that employees are more willing to support the existing culture and buy into the bigger picture. Employees are content in their tribe and happy to run as one with their herd. They’re happy to do so because they are contributing their own individual strengths to the greater cause. They feel valued and they are united by a shared purpose – even though they are different.
 
Quite often organisations wonder why their engagement scores are low, or turnover is high or their people aren’t performing to the level expected of them. We believe a large contributing factor to this common problem is that all too often individuals are expected to ‘change their stripes’. They have to conform. They are expected to act in ways that aren’t suited to who they are.
 
Our work encourages organisations to get to know their zebras and help them bring their stripes to the table. It’s about investing on an individual level and getting to know and engage your employees. What motivates them? What are they passionate about? What other areas of expertise do they have beyond their job description or skill set that they can contribute?  When you know this, you can unite them meaningfully behind a shared purpose.
 
When organisations engage employees on this level, they flourish. Why? They feel a part of something, but in a way that is unique to them – they fit.
 
Contact us to help bring your employees’ stripes to the table.