Recommend new design structures, symbols and systems
Implement the New Culture
Undertake a Renewal Process
It's a truism that people drive the performance of your business. It is also a truism that the culture of your business drives the performance of your people. So how did you arrive at the culture you have?
The short version is that your 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.
So just what is culture? It's the symbols, systems and beliefs that drive the behaviors, skills and engagement of the people working within the business.
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 Introducing A Successful Culture Change.
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. Effecting cultural process 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.
Business Case
For any organization to dedicate the time and effort it takes to effect a cultural change 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 culture change is doomed.
Set Up Team Charters and Expectations
Within in any change process 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 organization design holds the culture in place - systems perpetuate beliefs about 'how we work around here'. The interactions of the various elements of your organization design will either facilitate or impede the cultural changes you are attempting to implement.
Educate and Energize
This is a critical step that many organizations don't do, or do poorly. Education on the need for cultural change, the 'how' and the benefits must be done: over and over and over. The Design Team will have received education in how to go about effecting a cultural change and organization re-design. So too, the team members outside of the Design Team need education.
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 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. But it is this 'stuff' that the high performance organizations realize is the framework upon which greatness is built.
Recommend New Structures, Symbols and Systems
The Design Team will have reviewed all the elements within the current organization design and is now in place where they can begin recommending the changes that need to occur in order to achieve the desired Vision.
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. They help people to let go of the past behaviors and mindsets. Now is the time to adopt the new ways to success.
The new symbols that embed the changed behaviors must be regularly acknowledged and utilized. 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.
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