What would be a proper response to the below 2 posts?

Post 1

Class,

My strategic initiative is to retain great talent during times of mass-layoffs and location closures at WeWork. To effectively retain staff during tougher times, it's essential to establish an organizational structure and culture that prioritizes employee well-being, open communication, and transparency.

The current organizational structure consists of C-suite executives making all of the important decisions and it is communicated down the line accordingly. While this is a common corporate structure, I believe that because we are in such challenging times, it could benefit the greater org for everyone to be a bit more communicative and transparent. As of right now, for any normal day-to-day duty that needs to be done, it is being pushed aside as less important than location closures and talent layoffs resulting in a bit of confusion, lack of motivation, and the feeling that things are happening to our people instead of for our people. While WeWork preaches to be a people first company, their actions of business over people are sticking out causing a lack of trust within the people teams.

Because I do believe that the organization really does wish to be people first, I do think that they will help in pushing my initiative to retain our great talent. Here's what I believe would be the appropriate organizational structure and culture for successfully implementing this initiative:

1. Emphasis on employee well-being
2. Transparent communication channels
3. Caring leadership

Prioritizing employee well-being is important always, but especially in times of turmoil. Leaders should encourage work-life balance and recognize the importance of downtime to prevent burnout and improve overall morale. This, followed by open and clear communication channels are critical during times of uncertainty. By communicating openly about the reasons behind layoffs, the organization's future plans, and how employees will be supported throughout the transition, there is a chance to rebuild trust and continue to feel poured into and valued (Mann, 2023). Lastly, one of the most important things that belong in the company's structure and culture is effective leadership. It is crucial for navigating challenging times and the right leader can help instill confidence in employees and even influence them to feel positive about the organization once again, which leads to retention.

References

Mann, K. (2023). Tackling the colossal challenge of employee engagement during layoffs.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/05/03/tackling-the-colossal-challenge-of-employee-engagement-during-layoffs/?sh=7fecd6ce1d4fLinks to an external site.

Post 2.

My strategic initiative is to enhance HCA's market position and set itself apart as the leading organization in Washington State for home comfort solutions, customer satisfaction, and corporate social responsibility through environmentally sustainable business practices.

The current organizational structure consists of upper management making all decisions, with little input from middle management or employees. The employees lack training and development, don't feel valued, are overworked, and have low morale. Company culture does not reflect the company values, mission statement, and vision. There is a bit of division between the various departments, and communication between departments is poor.

The current structure and organizational culture will not be enough to support the initiative, and it needs to change. Employees need more training and development; they need to feel valued and listened to and given more autonomy and decision-making authority. Communication and teamwork between all departments must improve for the initiative to succeed.

For a successful initiative, the company culture needs to prioritize employee well-being, and employees are provided with training, tools, and development to succeed in their jobs. They need to foster a culture of inclusivity where all feel they have a seat at the table. Management should encourage a work-life balance and understand the importance of employee well-being, as it is essential to help support organizational culture and benefit the employer by increasing employee engagement and productivity (Verhulst & DeCenzo, 2018). Leadership should promote a culture of openness, inclusivity, communication, and teamwork, which is essential for the initiative's success.

Verhulst, S. L., & DeCenzo, D. A. (2018). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (13th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.