Culture Change – 5 Questions To Help You Do It Right!

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21Sep Culture Change – 5 Questions To Help You Do It Right!

96% of people think that culture change is needed in their organisation – that’s according to a study by consultants Booz & Co.  The Culture’s Role in Enabling Organizational Change” reveals that:

  • 84% believe that their organization’s culture is critical to business success
  • 60% say culture is more important than the company’s strategy or operating model
  • 96% say some form of culture change is needed within their organization
  • 51% believe their organization is in need of a major culture overhaul
  • 45% do not think their culture is being effectively managed
  • 48% do not think they have the capabilities required to deliver lasting change

It doesn’t sound like good news. So what can be done? Creating the culture that you want is a key characteristic of 3D Businesses (it’s Characteristic #5: Create An UBER Culture) and it’s certainly not an overnight job, nor is it a ‘paper exercise’.

So, what can you do? Well, here are 5 questions to get you thinking and hopefully get you to actually do something!

Question 1: What’s Our Current ‘Culture’?

One delegate at a conference I spoke at on the subject came up to me after and explained although he found what I talked about on culture fascinating, he was troubled. “We don’t have a culture at our place,” he explained. “You do,” I replied. “We don’t,” he assured me. I suggested that if I spent only a few minutes in his offices, I’d get a feel for it relatively quickly. “We definitely don’t have a culture,” he persisted, “no one gives a damn at our place!” “That’s your culture!” I cried.

So, getting a clear ‘objective’ view of your current culture is a useful point to start from.  Why not get your people to describe it – pluses and minuses. Which aspects are you happy with? Which are you unhappy with? Getting a true picture helps you work out what you need to keep, eliminate and work on. Think baby and bathwater!

Question 2: How Do We Want It To Be?

Is there a consistency in approach? Is it spelt out?  Getting ‘ownership’ is key. It should not just be seen as a ‘management thing’.

Question 3: What Do We Value?

What do people get ‘rewarded’ and ‘recognised’ for in your business? Are they the things that help create the culture that we want?

Question 4: Do Our Systems and Processes Help Or Hinder?

Your systems and processes do one of two things: they support and reinforce your ‘preferred’ behaviours or they suppress and detract from them. What’s happening in your organisation?

Question 5: What Are Our Leaders Like As Role Models?

This is all about what your people think! Are your leaders doing the right things, not just saying them? Are they ‘visible?’

If you’d like more on this, feel free to Download a FREE E-Book… Create An UBER Culture which highlights the key ingredients of establishing a culture that creates and supports real competitive advantage.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Andy Hanselman
Hi there! I help businesses and their people create competitive advantage by 'Thinking in 3D'! That means being 'Dramatically and Demonstrably Different'! I research, speak about, write about and work with businesses to help them maximise their sales and marketing, their customer service and their customer relationships.

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