Building a winning work culture for 2025 and beyond

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Recent years have strongly driven home the point that a thriving workplace culture is essential to the success of businesses. In an ever-increasing competitive landscape, attracting and retaining top talent is paramount, and a positive work environment can help organisations stand out from the crowd.

The UAE’s projected 5.1 per cent GDP growth in 2025, forecasted by the International Monetary Fund, highlights the resilience and vitality of the nation’s economy despite macroeconomic headwinds facing the world.

This growth, driven by advancements in digital infrastructure and a strong appetite for innovation, presents significant opportunities for businesses.

Additionally, the strong influx of expatriates into Dubai is expected to push the population to around four million by 2026, spurring substantial investments in key sectors such as real estate, hospitality, and retail.

The question then remains – how can businesses ensure they are positioned to capitalise on these opportunities? The answer lies in prioritising their most valuable asset: their people.

Co-creating a positive culture

I have long held the belief that the right organisational culture is critical in driving business success. Culture is not just a slogan; it is the heartbeat of a business. The right culture is one which people relate to, rally behind and thrive.

Building a thriving workplace culture is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. Often, periods of significant turmoil, like the Covid-19 pandemic, highlight the critical need for a strong and adaptable culture. These moments can serve as a catalyst for organisations to re-evaluate their values, behaviours, and ways of working.

A successful cultural transformation requires a strategic and thoughtful approach. It starts with a commitment to core principles like people-centricity, innovation, and sustainable growth. But true change goes beyond simply defining these principles; it requires embedding them into the fabric of the organisation.

This kind of cultural evolution requires a dedicated and collaborative effort. Gathering feedback from across the organisation is crucial to understanding the existing culture and finding areas for improvement. Co-creating a vision for the future, involving employees in shaping the values and behaviours they want to see in their workplace, fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that the changes resonate deeply. This participatory approach, combined with targeted initiatives such as workshops, mentoring programmes, and the identification of internal champions to drive the change, can significantly accelerate the cultural transformation process.

Even seemingly insignificant changes can have a profound impact. A more casual dress code, a friendlier tone of voice in communications, and the flexibility of hybrid working can signal a shift towards a more inclusive and trusting environment. These changes can have a significant impact on how employees feel about their workplace and how they interact with each other.

Core values in focus

Organisations are now deepening their cultural transformation by actively involving their employees in defining core values and behaviours. These “culture essentials” provide a practical framework for how people work together and interact with clients and partners. They serve as a constant reminder of the shared values that underpin the organisation’s culture.

As a leader, you know you’ve created something special when you see a team that is empowered, excited to deliver, and committed to following through; it means we have and are creating the right framework and environment for our people and the company to succeed.

Looking ahead, my conviction remains that developing the right organisational culture is critical in driving business success. This is achieved by investing in people and fostering an environment for innovation to flourish. A thriving workplace is the key to unlocking the vast opportunities presented by the UAE’s continued growth and contributing to the nation’s prosperity.

By empowering employees and developing a sense of shared purpose, sustainable success can be achieved, maximising value for all stakeholders. The goal is to build a future where people thrive, innovate, and contribute to a better tomorrow – together.

The writer is the group CEO, Al Ghurair.