How can you become a change agent for your organization's culture?

An interesting way to define culture is asking board members, leaders and team members this question: if our organisation was a person how would you describe them? Answers might include outgoing or quiet, self absorbed or inquisitive, easy going or hard to work with. It’s an effective exercise to identify the various stakeholders’ view of the company persona.

Understanding the existing culture within your organization involves observing and analyzing the values, behaviors, and norms that are currently prevalent. For example, you could conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gain insights into employee opinions and perceptions of the culture.

When surveying stakeholders about perceived culture don’t forget to include external stakeholders like customers, or the community. It can be telling to see if there is alignment between the internal reality, external perception and ‘desired’ vision. We’ve leveraged this approach to successfully inform our communication, change and culture strategy over the years.

???????????????????? ??????????????: Observe behaviours, attitudes, and outcomes. Note decision-making processes and communication flow. ???????????? ?????? ??????????????????: Gather insights via anonymous surveys or interviews from all levels. ???????????????? ??????????????????/????????????????????: Analyse data to pinpoint strengths to leverage and weaknesses to address. ?????????????? ????????????????: Identify gaps by comparing current and desired cultures.

Blend past successes with fresh approaches. Reflect on strategies that worked well in previous roles and consider how they could be adapted to your current environment. This doesn't mean a copy-paste approach; it's about flexing and tweaking those strategies to fit the new context. Start small with initiatives that encourage collaboration, communication, or innovation. Be a role model for the change you want to see, showing enthusiasm and commitment. Engage with your colleagues, listen to their ideas, and encourage open dialogue. Remember, cultural change is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to adapt strategies as you learn what resonates within your organization.

Defining what you want the new culture to look like involves clearly articulating the values, behaviors, and attitudes that you want to see within the organization. For instance, if your current culture lacks collaboration, you might define the desired culture as one that promotes teamwork and open communication.

The points above regarding mission, values and strategy are correct. Rationally they are important elements and provide a good framework. Culture is a living thing that also requires an emotional connection. Putting values on a wall, the mission statement on emails and vision in PowerPoint templates will not “bring it to life”. Ask various stakeholders this question: if our desired culture took the form of a person you met at a party - how would you describe them? Are they formal and serious or laid back with a quiet intelligence? Were they inquisitive and confident or sat quietly keeping to themselves. Personal characteristics assists in making the emotional connection which is essential in bringing your desired culture to life.

Change is not a one-person task. If every person make a small positive impact, all together it becomes significant for a firm.

To champion cultural change, embody the vision you set. Actions speak louder than words; leading by example in everyday interactions lays a strong foundation. It's about demonstrating the values you advocate, effectively communicating the change's purpose, and inspiring others through authentic leadership. This approach not only cultivates trust but also solidifies the desired culture as a living, breathing part of the organizational fabric.

As a change agent, it's crucial to lead by example. This means consistently demonstrating the behaviors and values that you want others to adopt. For example, if you want a more inclusive culture, you could actively seek diverse perspectives, involve different stakeholders in decision-making, and promote equal opportunities.

You need to not only demonstrate the culture want to see but you also need to explain WHY the modified or changed culture is better than what you currently have. Merely saying ‘do it this way’ is never enough. Explain why, tell stories to reinforce the culture and build examples of success. Oh, and don’t assume this is a swift fix, it can take years and years, so stick at it!

???????? ???? ??????????????: Leaders should reflect the desired culture in their actions. ?????????????????????? ????????????/????????????: Clearly relay the organisation’s mission, vision, and values, linking them to daily work. ???????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????: Acknowledge and reward behaviours that match the desired culture. ???????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????: Provide training to help employees adapt to the new culture. ?????????????? ????????????????: Foster open communication and feedback for continuous improvement and employee engagement.

Be a belief builder! You have to believe to achieve, and no one will be excited about anything you want to accomplish, unless you are first. You gotta believe in it wholeheartedly and then consistently take action that contributes to the common goal.

To foster cultural change, it's important to provide the necessary resources, training, and support to employees to help them understand and embrace the desired culture. For instance, if your desired culture is focused on innovation, you could provide training on creative problem-solving techniques.

Supporting the desired culture is the most important element of changing company culture and bringing it to life will sustain the culture in the long term. There are 2 factors in supporting culture that are true: 1. Culture is a living thing. Like a garden, if you ignore it 2 things will happen. It will either die or grow out of control. Both outcomes are not what was desired. 2. Address the guardrails. When there is behaviour that is “pushing against the guardrail” i.e. undesired behaviour, address it quickly. If not addressed, it will continue to stray further into a culture you don’t want. This will also impact those team members not seeing the behaviour pulled into line. Importantly it must be fit for purpose for your organisation.

Changing culture is an ongoing process, so it's essential to monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts. This can be done through regular check-ins with employees, collecting feedback, and analyzing metrics related to culture change. For example, you could track employee satisfaction, turnover rates, or engagement levels to gauge the impact of cultural initiatives.

?????????????? ?????? ????????????????: Regularly gauge cultural adoption through surveys and feedback. ?????????????????????? ??????????????: Assess cultural alignment during performance reviews. ?????????????? ????????????????: Observe the impact of cultural changes on business outcomes like employee satisfaction and productivity. ???????????? ????????????????????: Modify strategies based on evaluations. Cultural change requires flexibility. ?????????????????? ??????????????: Celebrate milestones to boost morale and reinforce cultural alignment.

Cultures are organic; they evolve and respond to external and internal stimuli. Encourage an agile mindset that welcomes change as an opportunity for growth, rather than a disruption. > Define KPIs that reflect cultural transformation progress. Regularly assess and celebrate milestones achieved. Acknowledge not only the big victories but also the small wins, reinforcing the positive behaviours driving the desired culture. > Don't forget to understand that change can be challenging for individuals. Offer support systems, mentorship, and resources to help navigate the transition. Encourage open discussions about the emotional aspects of change, fostering a culture of empathy and resilience.

Do walkabouts daily! If you engage with your team then your team will be engaged. Employees that feel valued make customers feel valued. So walk around for the first and last 20 min of your day to seek the good and celebrate it, and to actively listen and take immediate action.

A common misunderstanding in well-meaning culture change initiatives occurs when attention is too narrowly focused on fixed states (i.e. before or after), rather than the recognition that culture is always changing. Change agents that recognise culture exists in continuous flux, as a "byproduct of consistent behaviour" (Jason Fried) – driven by the values and beliefs of its current employees alone – can help organisations thrive more organically. Mastering the ability to dynamically adapt as a community of human beings, while all sharing the same overall mission and vision, trumps an enforced doctrine of rigid, top-down values statements every time.

Some of the areas not included in the article are: ????????-??????????: Consider the impact of changes on employee well-being. A supportive environment can ease the transition. Remember, every organisation is unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cultural change. It’s about finding what works best for your organisation. ??????????????????????: Ensure all voices are heard. Diverse perspectives can enrich the culture and foster innovation. ???????????????????? ????????????????????: Leaders should be actively involved and supportive of the change.