Changing Workplace Culture

People drive the performance of your business and it is the culture of your business which drives the performance of your people. Place two businesses side by side with exactly the same equipment and technology and one will outperform the other ... the difference - the people and the culture they have created. So how did you arrive at the culture you have?

Unfortunately for many organization's the culture probably came about by default. Driven by the values and beliefs of the core group of people who founded the organization, with probably little to no deliberate intent or design. Possibly, over the years, people in senior leadership roles have modified the culture to fit their personal preferences, societal and/or marketplace changes.

How Do You Recognize Changing Workplace Culture Is A Priority?

Organization's generally decide their culture needs attention when there is a recognition that the culture is not enabling them to achieve the results they desire. Sometimes the need for change comes from an emotional basis. Maybe a new leader is appointed and s/he decides, "I don't like how this workplace feels". Or maybe it comes from a more logic driven place - "This business is under-performing on most performance indicators and change needs to happen if we are to survive".

The Steps To Successfully Changing Workplace Culture

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Fair warning, changing workplace culture is an on-going and never-ending process. The recommendations that are made from your deliberate cultural design process may take you sometime to implement and feel the full benefits.

Do not be disheartened; it is simply part of the process. Changing workplace culture can be a bumpy ride, the lag time between what you are implementing and changes in behavior can sometimes seem inexorably long. Keep at it though. Your commitment to the process and enabling the best to be brought out in yourself, your people and your organization is what will ensure that the cultural change is a success.

Before Starting the Process of Changing Workplace Culture You Must Establish A Solid Business Case

For any organization to dedicate the time and effort it takes when changing workplace culture there must be a strong business case to drive the momentum. The business case will come from either the business under-performing or wishing to excel beyond its current performance.

Once a business case is established it is much easier to entice the senior leadership to become the champions for change. Without their full and unswerving support your success at changing workplace culture is severly threatened.

Set Up Team Charters and Expectations

When you are changing workplace culture there are four teams that have quite distinct roles. These teams are:

• The Steering Team:- Responsible for establishing boundaries and guidelines for the Design Team. Approving the recommendations of the Design Team. It should consist of a cross section of key leaders, decision-makers and stakeholders.
• The Design Team:- Responsible for completing the analysis of the current situation, making recommendations. Should have representatives from both leadership and front-line team members
• The Implementation Team:- Responsible for implementing the recommendations and transforming it from it's current state to the ideal state. Wide-spread involvement is critical to ensure that the plan is effective and all team members embrace it. (It is critical that the leadership teams are very much included throughout the entire process to ensure their buy-in, which is all important, because of the influence they bring to bear on the entire organization. If a leader is unable to support the change, then s/he should be willing to leave of his/her own accord)
• The Renewal Team:- Responsible for assessing the degree to which the implemented recommendations have achieved what they were designed to achieve. Make recommendations for further change efforts as required. Often members of the Renewal Team include members from the Design Team and the Implementation Team.
• The Consultant:- Responsible for educating the teams in the models, analysis tools and methodologies that are available to assist cultural change. Provide guidance to ensure the change effort stays on course. Provides expertise regarding sources of information and alternative choices.

Describe The Vision

Once the Steering and Design Team has been brought together and given their charter it is time for the Vision for the Future is described. At the end of this body of work, clearly defined will be the Behaviors, Values, Principles and Mindsets that the organization will adopt in the future.

It is important that the members of these teams stay open to this being modified as the Design Team delves further into the re-design process.

Review Current State

At this point time is spent analyzing the external environment, social and technical systems and identifying the Symbols, Rituals and Legends that create the culture of the organization. To attempt changing a workplace culture without also considering the organizational design, is to commit yourself to much activity, but achieving little real progress.

The systems that you use perpetuate beliefs about 'how we work around here'. The interactions of the various systems and organization design choices you have made will either facilitate or impede the cultural changes you are attempting to implement.

Educate and Energize

This is a critical step in changing workplace culture that many organizations don't do, or do poorly. Education of every single member within the organization on the need for cultural change, the 'how' you are going to go about changing the workplace culture and the benefits to be gained by changing workplace culture must be done: over and over and over.

To energize people the education needs to step far beyond the mere logic of "this is why we need to change and this is how we need to change". The education needs to engage people's hearts. It neeeds to begin to influence people's values, mindsets and beliefs and ultimately enable them to change their behaviours.

Many organizations shy away from this 'warm and fuzzy' stuff. However, leaders in high performance organizations' realize that 'this stuff' is the framework upon which greatness is built.

Recommend New Structures, Symbols and Systems

Once the Design Team will has reviewed all the elements within the current organization design it is now in place where they can begin recommending the changes that need to occur in order to achieve the desired Vision.

At this stage it is critical that a communication plan is put in place to enable feedback between all team members of the organization.

Implement The New Culture

The focus now is on implementing the recommendations that have been agreed to in the previous step. This is where the leadership team must take a very active role in changing the workplace culture. They help people to let go of the past behaviors and mindsets and encourage people to adopt the new ways to success.

The leaders spend time talking ... talking ... talking about the benefits of the change, both to the individuals and the organization as a whole.

Ensure that progress is tracked and measured regularly and that all wins are celebrated.

Renew

Finally on a regular basis (at least yearly) a team should come together to look at what is working, what is not working. Modifications are recommended and implemented as appropriate.