When our daughters were younger, and we'd be on our way to do something we hadn't done before or go somewhere we hadn't been before, my wife and I noticed that they'd become a little anxious. They'd ask questions about who would be there, or what would happen. "What if this?", or "what happens if that?"
They're not especially anxious children. These questions were quite normal and, really, when you think about it, quite natural. Even as adults, most of us, when we meet a group of people for the first time, have some fears or insecurities. When you're new to the world and small in it, these are amplified. You can imagine what it's like for children to go to a party with 30 kids they don't know, or to arrive at an airport and board an aeroplane for the first time. There's plenty excitement, but plenty trepidation.
So my wife and I got into the habit of creating very clear and explicit expectations for them. "This is where we're going", we'd tell them. "This is what it looks like", "this is what will happen when we get there", and so on. They were visibly reassured, less worried and more confident.
It's really not very different when we're adults going to work. Think about your first days or weeks at a new job. So much is unknown. Anyone feels anxious in that situation, even a new CEO. Over time this anxiety lessens, but in many jobs and at many companies, it doesn't completely go away.
Lots of this anxiety is unnecessary and could be avoided if companies created very clear and explicit expectations about who they are.
It could start even before an interview. Your website and social media says a lot about you and your values. The interview process itself could be as much about sharing who the company is as it is about finding out who the candidate is. On or prior to day one, you could share an employee handbook or culture deck that describes what your company believes and how it does things.
It's not just relevant to first-timers or new hires, though. In many companies the anxiety just takes on a different and often more subtle form. Who will be promoted? Must I jostle for the position? How? What's my performance based on? My superior's subjective opinion? Have I done this task well enough? Is my work really good enough?
These kinds of anxieties can be dramatically lessened if the company makes its culture conscious. Raj Sisodia, co-author of Firms Of Endearment and Conscious Capitalism, says "articulate what you stand for and make it explicit". That way people understand the company's values and character, they know what it stands for and how it does things. They're clear about what behaviours help and hamper the business. They know what is expected of them, and why.
Unfortunately, in most companies culture is something that must be "felt" as if by some vague process of osmosis. It is intangible, ambiguous, and leaves too much room for interpretation.
On the other hand, conscious companies know who they are, and they make it known. And that gives everyone confidence.
As a parent, one of the best things I can do for my children is to help nurture their confidence. I know how well it'll serve them well in the world. It's really no different at work.