What are some of the common challenges and pitfalls of culture change training and how can you avoid them?
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One of the first challenges of culture change training is to define and communicate what the desired culture is and why it matters. Without a clear and compelling vision, mission, and values, the training will lack direction, relevance, and buy-in. Moreover, if the leaders and stakeholders are not aligned on the culture change goals and strategies, the training will face resistance, confusion, and inconsistency. To avoid this pitfall, you need to involve and engage the key decision-makers and influencers in the culture change process, and ensure that they share and support the same vision, mission, and values. You also need to communicate the culture change purpose and benefits to the whole organization, and make sure that everyone understands their role and expectations in the process.
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Take a look at this paragraph. What's missing? Business Case. Period. An organization's culture either serves positive outcomes or it doesn't. Why are we seeking to change the culture if not to deliver positive outcomes? Too often, culture change (and subsequent training) is aimed at fixing where an organization is "broken". For example, "we will be a more inclusive culture", or "we will be a more innovative culture". Why? Aside from just being the nice/right thing, what will inclusiveness bring? How does innovation shape your customer agenda through products and services? How could innovation practices reshape your internal decision-making?
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Our "Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine" team building game is about the collaborative result of, "Mining as much gold as _WE_ can." Problem is that the tabletops generally want to WIN the game, which means they do not collaborate or share information or resources with other teams. They choose to NOT align to the "WE" above and we find that the competition measurably sub-optimizes overall results. The alignment to SHARED goals is the key -- and even though we tell them the mission, it is our mission and often not theirs. We need to be very careful about the objectives and expectations and we must measure the right things -- group measurements of overall, collaborative results is much more important than winning by an individual or team.
Another common challenge of culture change training is to overcome the resistance and inertia that often accompany any change initiative. People may feel threatened, skeptical, or indifferent to the culture change, and may resist or ignore the training efforts. They may also cling to the old habits, norms, and routines that are familiar and comfortable, and may not see the need or value of changing their behavior or mindset. To avoid this pitfall, you need to address the emotional and rational aspects of the culture change, and create a sense of urgency and motivation for the change. You need to acknowledge and empathize with the fears and concerns of the people, and provide them with support and feedback. You also need to show them the benefits and rewards of the change, and celebrate the small wins and progress along the way.
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Two simple thoughts: 1 - "Change is good. You go first." (Dilbert) 2 - "Nobody ever washes a rental car." (me) People naturally resist change done TO them. Pretty much always. If there is no sense of ownership, you simply cannot expect people to "take care" of ideas that are not theirs. Active involvement and real engagement in the change process is critical. Do things WITH them and share the development and ownership of the issues and opportunities.
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This reads very much like culture change being "done unto..." people, as opposed to culture change "realized by..." people. When you look at your culture change training, how much of it is a "tell" vs. a "explore"? The latter increases the likelihood of ownership beyond the training, for sure.
Another common challenge of culture change training is to provide the necessary skills and resources for the people to adopt and sustain the new culture. Without adequate training, coaching, mentoring, and tools, the people may not have the confidence or competence to change their behavior or mindset. They may also face barriers or constraints that prevent them from applying what they learned or practicing what they committed to. To avoid this pitfall, you need to assess and address the skill gaps and resource needs of the people, and provide them with relevant and effective training, coaching, mentoring, and tools. You also need to remove or reduce the barriers or constraints that hinder the culture change, and create a supportive and enabling environment that fosters the new culture.
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This is fine, but what about leadership? This comes at the start of “Without adequate training, coaching, mentoring…”. Without active and visible leadership to introduce the training, etc, why would the staff being trained think that it is anything but the latest training fad, or the whim of an ambitious change manager? Staff have learnt time and again, that change is rarely embedded in organisations, if they keep their heads down and carry on the culture will remain. Effective and visible leadership is important to front up the training and then ensure that the skills learnt continue through into day-to-day practice. This will help embed, remove barriers and create the desired new culture.
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All of this is important. But what's most critical is how decisions are made in the new culture. That's where the rubber hits the road; the most tangible impact of new ways of being. So, the first area to examine for skill and resource deficiencies is decisions and decision-making processes. Simplify and streamline those, in line with desired cultural attributes, and everything else becomes easier.
Another common challenge of culture change training is to ensure that the people are accountable and reinforced for the culture change. Without clear and consistent expectations, consequences, and incentives, the people may not follow through or stick to the new culture. They may also revert to the old culture if they encounter challenges, conflicts, or pressures that test their commitment or resolve. To avoid this pitfall, you need to establish and communicate the standards and measures of the new culture, and monitor and evaluate the performance and behavior of the people. You also need to provide constructive and positive feedback, recognition, and rewards for the people who demonstrate and embody the new culture, and address or correct any deviations or violations of the new culture.
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Simply put: make the new stuff easy to do, and rewarding... Make the old stuff hard to do, and painful. Do this with commitment and the culture will shift.
Another common challenge of culture change training is to ensure that the new culture is adaptable and innovative to meet the changing needs and demands of the organization and its stakeholders. Without continuous learning, improvement, and experimentation, the new culture may become stagnant, obsolete, or irrelevant. It may also lose its competitive edge, differentiation, or value proposition. To avoid this pitfall, you need to foster a culture of learning, improvement, and experimentation, and encourage the people to seek feedback, explore opportunities, and try new ideas. You also need to review and update the vision, mission, values, and practices of the new culture regularly, and ensure that they align with the current and future goals and strategies of the organization.
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There is a balance to be struck here. Many organisations suffer from “change fatigue” because there is constant review, shifting, innovating or rebalancing. How regularly do you need to review in particular the vision and mission of the organisation? Is the new culture not one of the ways of better delivering against the vision and mission…?
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Culture change is often driven by a big planned initiative arriving with frenetic intensity to make the change imbed quickly. Big communication blasts, quick labeling and branding efforts, lots of (often mandatory) training, and posters every where. Missing were efforts to explain why employees should care or how they would benefit. Then there are the culture changes that occur as a consequence of seemingly small actions. For instance, it is hard to find staff in the current environment so let's advertise a position with a Manager title to grab the eyes, even if the job tasks are more transactional. What effect does that have on existing staff when they see that? Factoring in the people psychology is critical to successful culture change.
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