Blog #160: How do you change a culture in a sustainable way? - 3 dealmakers

What a wonderful scene on the streets of Brussels the other day. People having iftar (the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan) at Easter for Christians and Passover (Pesach) for the Jewish community. I just love initiatives like this that bring people together.?

I was born and raised in the Catholic tradition, so I used to hide Easter eggs in the garden. With teenagers in the house, I no longer do that.?

But I do remember that when my daughter was twelve, she decided to hide Easter eggs in the garden. She told me it was childish to hide eggs for her.?I wondered who she was hiding them for, as she was the youngest and did not want to surprise a younger sibling.

She did it for... our dog! It was lovely to watch her looking for places to hide dog food (not chocolate eggs of course!).?

Humans learn most by imitating behaviour. We are trained to do this from the moment we are welcomed to this planet. We copy all the time. Unconsciously.

From the first interaction, people notice 'the way things are done in your company'. They put together all the pieces of the puzzle (interactions, dynamics, behaviour, atmosphere, energy...) and that is their idea of your company culture.

And that is what they will copy...?

How do you change a culture, a managing partner asked me at the Tedex event I attended last Saturday.

1. Show: Show the behaviour you want to see - people will copy it for sure. This is what 'leading by example' is all about.

2. Confirm: Intervene when you see behaviour that is not what you would like to see and confirm the behaviour you expect in a positive way. Repetition is key... 'The Rule of 7' means that we need to hear things at least 7 times before we change our behaviour...

3. Clarify: Clarify the behaviours you want to see: Translating your corporate values into practice is a good start. Be specific about what behaviour you expect, as values alone are far too conceptual and can be interpreted in many different ways.

A few examples:

• Respect for people means letting people finish their sentences in meetings. (Make sure you say it positively, avoid confirming behaviour negatively, e.g. respect for people means not interrupting people).
• Team spirit in our company means that everyone is responsible for the success of others.
• Working together means that we are always looking for solutions. There is always at least one solution to every problem.
• ...

This is my 160th blog to inspire you, the decision-maker, to create an inclusive and sustainable work environment that is welcoming to all and conscious of its impact on the world we live in. I am always happy to discuss your challenges and approaches.

Now it is your turn. Please respond to the following question:

What behaviour would you like your candidates, employees and stakeholders to adopt??

Thank you for reading to the end and I look forward to reading your reactions ??.

Sharing is caring, so if you think this newsletter might be useful to others in your network, please feel free to share it with them or tag them below. I appreciate it??.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and please get in touch if you want to ignite your culture.

Cheers to your stories, cheers to you,

Katherina

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Katherina Swings

An inspiring connector, a multilingual contributor with international (work and life) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR professional with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change manager with business savvy, a creative writer, a certified professional learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a multicultural networker, an active listener...

My vision is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other's strengths. The tagline of my company, Co-Wings, is 'Using everyone's wings to fly ??????'.

My mission is to support 100,000 leaders worldwide to become (more) inclusive.

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???????????????????? Check out my?159?previous blogs. Let me know what you think after you read them!