A few weeks ago, the office in my office of a large U.S. technology company had its own murals.
It was the kind of thing you’d find on a factory floor or a school cafeteria, and it was a striking design choice.
It didn’t fit with our corporate mission statement or our values.
It fit our corporate culture, and I wanted to do something about it.
After a few days, I sent a text message to a former colleague who works in the office.
“We’re doing a mural in the hallway,” he said.
“Is that okay?”
I knew that I needed to make an appointment with the person responsible for the murals before I could proceed.
He didn’t say how long it would take, and after a couple of weeks, I had no choice but to send a cease-and-desist letter.
I was also told that if I didn’t remove the muras within the next three days, the company could face a lawsuit.
The next day, the muruses were gone.
I called my office and told them that I wanted them to remove them immediately.
After that, I contacted the company’s HR department.
I told them they could do what they felt was necessary to protect their reputations and their businesses, but I was not willing to pay to remove the artwork that was being depicted in the offices.
So, in the end, the mural was removed and a replacement was made.
The company’s legal department is still working on how to proceed.
I’ve had many conversations with my former colleagues about the need for corporate culture change, and in my experience, the companies that are least willing to change their ways tend to be those that are perceived as being less than ethical.
It’s easy to see how a corporate culture can be tarnished by this kind of image.
The murals are not only a reminder of the work that the company does, but they’re also a powerful expression of the people in our offices.
The corporate culture of the companies I’ve worked for in recent years has been characterized by high turnover, low morale, and an emphasis on performance.
I’d like to believe that a more ethical workplace culture will be more effective at addressing the many social and economic issues plaguing the United States and helping create a more equitable society, but unfortunately, the corporate culture has not been a positive influence on the workplace culture in our industry.
While it’s true that some of our most successful companies have been able to create a culture that encourages people to be more creative and engage with their employees, the reality is that there is a lot of work left to do in order to transform this culture, particularly in an environment where companies have to work overtime to keep their employees happy.
And that’s a problem.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with an employee at a large technology company.
He told me that he felt that a lot more emphasis was placed on performance management and the company-wide culture.
He felt that in order for the company to thrive, it needed to change its culture.
While he acknowledged that there are some positives to a corporate image, he believed that the companies with the highest turnover and low morale were those that were least likely to change.
At a company where people are paid a lot, this type of focus on performance and social media is not necessarily the best way to encourage people to do their jobs well.
The fact that this employee felt the need to create murals in his office, to show his colleagues that the business is “a place where people feel they have to be perfect, to do the right thing,” indicates that the culture at the company is still focused on the bottom line, rather than on what’s right for the people who work there.
When I spoke with the HR department, I explained to them that if the muramuses were removed within the three-day period, I was willing to make a settlement offer of $50.00 per square foot for the entire wall.
That’s a pretty good deal.
In my experience with other companies, people who want to take action can also make an offer.
For example, a company that doesn’t have a corporate social responsibility policy could pay to have their murals removed.
The best way for employees to show their company values is to engage with other employees in the workplace, which can be a great way to engage the people you work with.
As a result of my conversation with the former employee, I’ve been able both to work with the company and the employees I’ve hired to change the corporate cultures in my industry.
I’m glad that I took the time to talk to a company about this issue.
But as someone who is committed to a culture of inclusion, I believe that it’s imperative that the corporate environment in our workplace is one that’s free of bias and that all people are treated with respect and dignity.
I also believe that if we want to ensure that people are being treated with dignity