The path toward change is not a lineal journey. Success requires long-term commitment while focusing on numerous change drivers simultaneously and harmoniously.
A story told frequently by Tom Peters underscores a common lack of patience toward changing an organization’s culture. Following a presentation he had given on organizational culture, a highly energized CEO came up to him and said: “Thank you for your talk! I now see the value of a strong culture.” Then turning to his COO he barked, “I want a culture by Monday!”
This story, while humorous, highlights a misconception of the nature of culture change and how it arises over time through norms, stories, and changes in behavior. Changing culture is possible but it occurs slowly – not through proclamation.
Underlying requirements for a deliberate culture change include:
- Making the decision to change culture
- Patience toward the effort and time required to effect cultural change
- Perseverance and sustained focus once changes in behavior begin to occur
- Developing metrics for cultural change and reviewing those metrics constantly
- Recognizing the need for tolerance as the organization implements this transition
- Encouraging leadership at all organizational tiers
- Using employee passion for success as leverage to drive the new sales culture
- Creating and sustaining a sense of urgency and avoiding gradual backsliding
- Recognizing and rewarding indicators of the new culture
In the next blog post, we’ll discuss the first of six critical change drivers, Accountability and Metrics.
