What are the most effective ways to address systemic issues that hinder culture change?

You can't change culture until you change people. I don't mean change them out/ swap them (though that may be a part of your strategy). Their values and mindsets drive their behaviours- so helping them understand the root of their behaviours helps them understand why they do what they do and drives higher empathy for others. Behaviour change begets culture change, but it still must be led from the top- requiring commitment and humility.

One of the more difficult aspects of this phase is successfully identifying underlying protected interests within the existing culture. These often-unspoken dynamics protect power structures that hold the current culture in place and cause possible resistance to change. It may be helpful to hire an external consultant who is not connected to the current hierarchy and thus does not have a personal stake in the existing power structures to identify the deeper culture systemic issues fully and honestly.

Transactional analysis can aid in this phase by providing a framework to understand communication patterns within the organization. Transactional analysts assess transactions (interactions) to uncover hidden agendas, power struggles, or resistance to change. Practically, professionals trained in transactional analysis can conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups with a focus on analyzing transactional patterns. They can identify key players and their roles in reinforcing systemic issues, helping prioritize which issues need immediate attention.

The systematic approach for cultural transformation can be described in following steps 1. First to articulate why there is a need for cultural transformation 2. Identifying one or two themes that has an impact on culture 3. Displaying banners and artifacts all across the Company that is more related to the theme 4. Developing a work plan for employees to exhibit the desired behaviour based on the theme 5. Doing periodic reviews to ensure that the employees are working as per plan 6. Once having implemented …selecting other themes to support the culture transformation 7. Lastly doing an audit to ascertain that the change is happening

To foster engagement and empowerment within an organization, practical strategies rooted in Transactional Analysis (TA) can be applied. Workshops focusing on active listening and non-judgmental communication can be conducted to enhance mutual respect among team members, underpinned by the TA concept of "I'm OK, You're OK." Leaders should be encouraged to use "I" statements to communicate without assigning blame. Lastly, training managers in providing effective feedback, drawing from the "Three Ego States" concept in TA, can facilitate growth-oriented communication.

Foster empowerment through trust and openness. Establish a secure, non-retaliatory process, promoting dialogue and innovation. Demonstrate leadership's commitment, offer anonymity, and showcase shared successes. Embrace diverse viewpoints inclusively. This safety breeds transparency, empathy, and a progressive culture.

A key aspect for me is always to ensure everybody affected by the change, is to understand the 'why'. If you lead with 'why' in discussions, openly and honestly, it allows everyone to have a voice in the solution and should help dispel fear or resistance to change.

The leader of a business selects assistants based on his/her behavioral norms. This is how the "team" is formed. Later this team becomes "top management". The top managers hire subordinates according to the same rule: they choose people who share their beliefs. These beliefs correspond to those of the leader; consequently, those values which are important for the leader permeate the entire organization. This is what we call “corporate culture”. Conclusions: Corporate culture is the result of the mode of thinking and behaviour of the leader. Corporate culture will remain as it is for as long as the leader and his/her team are in charge of the company. The only way to change it significantly is for another (different) person to take the lead.