Networking with culture change experts can help you learn from their insights, experiences, and best practices. But how do you find and connect with the right people who can offer valuable advice and guidance? In this article, we will share some tips on how to identify the best culture change experts to network with, and how to reach out to them effectively.
Before you start looking for culture change experts to network with, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. What are your specific challenges or questions related to culture change? What are your learning objectives and expectations? How do you plan to use the information or feedback you get from the experts? Having a clear purpose and direction will help you narrow down your search and focus on the most relevant and helpful contacts.
Clear Goals, Clear Path: Before networking with culture change experts, clarify your goals. What challenges do you face in culture change? Understand your learning objectives. Growth Mindset: Be open to possibilities. Be clear how you'll apply your new knowledge. Seek experts who can open you to expansion, not stay stuck where you are! Precise Search: Target experts aligned with your specific questions and goals. Quality over Quantity: Seek depth in connections rather than breadth. Engaging Exchange: Plan to interact with experts in a meaningful way allowing for a fruitful exchange of ideas and perspectives. Use Expert Insights: Plan how you'll apply the advice and feedback from your network.
Before you can start to look at culture change and really make an impact you will need to define your goals. Really understanding purpose and what that means in relation to achieving your vision is critical for culture change. What are you trying to achieve, where do you come in, and how can you make it happen. This is simple but so effective when overlaid on culture change.
Once you have defined your goals, you can begin researching your options for finding culture change experts. Online, you can search blogs, podcasts, books, or articles by culture change experts. Be sure to check the author's credentials and reputation and look for topics that match your interests and goals. Joining online communities, forums, or groups related to culture change is also a great way to learn more. Look for active and engaged members who share useful insights, resources, or advice. You can also participate in discussions, ask questions, or offer your own perspective. Attending events, webinars, workshops, or conferences on culture change is another great option to learn more. Look for speakers, panelists, or facilitators who have relevant expertise and experience. You may also want to network with other attendees who share your interests or challenges. Lastly, don't forget to ask for referrals or recommendations from your existing network. Look for people who have worked with or learned from culture change experts and ask them for their feedback and contact details.
After you have identified potential culture change experts to network with, you need to evaluate them based on their suitability and availability. To do this, review their profile, portfolio, or website for evidence of their skills, knowledge, and achievements in culture change. Additionally, assess their communication style and personality; look for signs of their values, beliefs, and attitudes towards culture change. You should also check their availability and willingness to network by looking for indicators of their interest, availability, and responsiveness in networking. Be sure to take note of their schedule, preferences, and boundaries for communication.
If you don’t know where to start with this, reach out to your network of peers to see who they’ve worked with or what’s going well for them in the cultural space. Some of the best people I’ve worked with have come from recommendations.
Once you have evaluated your potential contacts, you can reach out to them with a personalized and respectful message. Introduce yourself, explain your purpose, and be specific and concise about your goals and expectations. Additionally, show your appreciation and value proposition, being genuine and sincere about your compliments and intentions. Finally, ask for their permission and preference; be polite and flexible about their time and mode of communication. This will help create a positive impression and foster a meaningful relationship.
Personalize Outreach: Craft a message that is personal, brief and to the point. Introduce yourself, your mission and goals. Be Authentic: Don't use templates you get from a Google search or AI. Invest in genuine communication. Respect Their Time: Be bright. Be brief. Value their time reading your communication as well as meeting with you to learn more if applicable. First impressions are everything: You have one chance to make a first impression. Make it count. Open Dialogue: Encourage a 2-way conversation. Show you're not just there to take, but also to give and engage meaningfully.
Once you have contacted your chosen contacts, it is essential to follow up and nurture the relationship. Show your appreciation for their time and advice by expressing your gratitude and feedback. Keep them informed of your progress, challenges, or achievements linked to culture change. Ask for their opinions, suggestions, or referrals related to relevant topics or issues. Additionally, offer your support and reciprocity by telling them how you can help or support them in their work, goals, or challenges. Provide them with your insights, resources, or referrals on topics or issues that concern them.
Look for someone who has recommendations and/or reviews. Ask your network for referrals. Figure out the expert’s style and success by asking former clients. And, ensure it’s someone who can engender your team’s trust.
It takes someone who really understands culture to be able to explain it in a simple way without losing the nuances. People can use 'culture change' as an umbrella to be mysterious and non-specific under. Culture change is actually happening all the time, due to very specific actions. Search through your network and online for someone who can give clear examples and actions of what can change and the impact it has.
Considering your company profile and maturity you can considere a consultant company with: 1.- Solid Statistics Foundations, for example a framework with data from more than 1000 one thousand companies where inventories were applyed to measure culture before. Benefits : You can tracking the results, before - after, and compare with the data base of the consultant company, to analize and reflec about your current state and next steps to improve your organizational culture indicators. Data can enable your decission making process and previous discussions.
From my point of view, you can recognise real experts in this field by the fact that they come with lots of questions rather than lots of answers. There are certainly helpful principles such as transparency, participation and a good error culture when it comes to cultural change. But there are definitely no patent remedies and "one size fits all" solutions. Nevertheless, many experts sell exactly this type of offer. Being sceptical here is a good filter.