Today, no company can do without co-thinkers. Tasks are becoming increasingly complex, hierarchies are becoming flatter and every crisis is often followed by a new change. In this environment, people are needed who do more than just fulfill their formal tasks.
One term that is becoming increasingly important in this context is “Organizational Citizenship Behaviour” (OCB). It describes the behavior of employees who take on responsibility beyond their actual duties. They help colleagues, contribute ideas and keep the business running – often without any prospect of direct reward or recognition.
OCB is an almost invisible but extremely valuable lever in well-functioning organizations:
- A colleague spontaneously stands in for a team member who is ill.
- An employee makes suggestions for process improvement even though he is not directly affected.
- A team independently takes care of new colleagues without being explicitly asked to do so.
But how can this behavior be encouraged?
OCB is first and foremost a corporate culture issue. It cannot be ordered, but it can be specifically supported. Here are some approaches on how managers and teams can increase responsibility and commitment in everyday life:
- Distribute responsibility: Don’t decide everything centrally. We need spaces in which teams can act and shape things independently. Personal responsibility promotes commitment and initiative.
- Making commitment visible: Companies should not only evaluate hard figures and results. Quiet involvement and collegial behavior are also valuable. It is worth explicitly acknowledging this in feedback rounds or retrospectives.
- Realign leadership: Managers should act as enablers, not as controllers. If you want to promote genuine OCB, you have to give people trust and the freedom to take responsibility.
- Introduce team rituals: For example, short “OCB moments” in meetings where team members name positive behavior by colleagues. This strengthens team spirit and creates an environment of recognition.
A holistic approach for more responsibility: OCB is closely linked to the corporate culture. Those who build structures that promote freedom, recognition and trust gain employees who really pull their weight. This attitude not only creates a more productive working environment, but also ensures greater flexibility and the ability to act in times of change.
Our tip: If you want to promote responsibility in the area of health & safety and beyond, you need to do more than just set rules. It’s about creating a culture in which employees take responsibility for themselves and each other – with the aim of growing as a team and organization. We are happy to advise on this.