Don’t change your culture––change your Self

I get this question a lot: “How do I change our culture?”

Well, you could fire everyone and start from scratch. Or, you could ram it down people’s throats by creating new rules and regulations. 

A lot of organizations try the second methods and believe it or not, some do the first. And also believe it or not, in extreme situations I have no problem recommending the later!

There is a much better way––much simpler and far more effective…

Don’t change the culture. Change your Self.

A culture is nothing more than the manifestation of the beliefs, behaviors and expressions of a group of people. Your organization culture is the beliefs and actions of the people in it. That’s all.

We do need rules, but research and experience teaches us that informal rules are far more powerful and effective than rules imposed through authority. It’s just human nature that we’re much more likely to conform to our own rules and rebel against the rules other people impose on us. 

We also know that most of the intellectual, experiential and cultural capital of any organization exists in the ranks, not in the executive suite. The people in your organization create, sustain and evolve your culture. 

So the best question is this: “How can you effectively influence the behaviors of individuals in the organization?” 

Lead by example…

Now talk about a cultural change; when students first come into a dojo they’re expected to check their egos at the door. One of the ways we practice this is to bow to the instructor and senior students. Believe it or not, this is sometimes difficult for people in our culture. Who the hell is this guy and why should I bow to him?

Other instructors would often get frustrated at people who didn’t seem to embrace this custom. They’d ask me how I get people to bow. A few noticed that they had never heard me tell anyone to bow and that unlike some of them, I never punished anyone when they didn’t.

I’d usually say, “Watch this.” Then I’d go over to someone, sometimes a spectator who wasn’t even a student, and I’d bow. Nine of out ten times they’d bow too. 

People follow examples much more enthusiastically than they do orders.

Actually, our full STRATEGY for this is: “Be confident yet humble––lead by example.”

Let’s break it down. This STRATEGY means that if we’re going to talk the talk, we best walk the walk.

Be confident: If you want to change other people’s behaviors then model that behavior confidently. Show them you believe in it and that it works for you. 

Be humble: Understand that just because you’re right, doesn’t mean the other guy is wrong. Be open to new input and have the strength of humility to change course as you learn more.

Lead by example: If you want to shape behavior, and that’s all culture is, then you have to model the behavior you expect from others. “Do as I say…” doesn’t carry much weight in today’s workplace.

It’s simple. Not easy.

Humility also means to manage our expectations. If you’re trying to inspire a major cultural shift, it takes time. It requires addressing beliefs and behaviors that can be deeply entrenched. And you have to respect the fact that even though these beliefs and behaviors may be holding the organization back as a whole, they may be working quite well for any particular individual or sub-group.

One of the key cultural components we emphasize with leaders is compassion. It’s interesting how much resistance I hear. The trouble usually starts with my rant…

“Don’t be an Undercover Boss!”

That show always drives me nuts and the main reason is this: How can these executives be so damn obtuse? How can they know so little about the lives of the people they serve?

A typical challenge is, “Jim, I’ve got 5,000 people in my company. I can’t possibly know all of them.” I don’t care if you have 10,000 or 100,000. 

You can make the effort to understand individuals representative of a larger group, but I have an out clause too. I ask if leaders can…

“…build a culture of sincere interest and insist that supervisors spend time understanding the needs, desires and motivations of the people directly in their care.” ~THE SENSEI LEADER

In other words, everyone in an authority position, at every level, takes care of the people closest to them. At a recent workshop, I was working with someone who still felt overwhelmed. 

“I have 500 people in my division.”

I asked, “How many direct reports?”

“Twelve.”

“Can't you start with them?”

The other major challenge I hear is that it’s tough to get the people at the top to change––and all change must start at the top. Right?

Why?

You can start in the middle. These are the people who are often the most affected by a cultural shift. They have enough time invested to want to stay and contribute, yet they don’t have enough clout to make a global impact. (At least that’s what they might think.)

First of all, these are the people that will be at the top soon. When they change, they’ll likely carry that change with them as they assume top leadership positions. 

And remember that we’re talking about influencing people one on one. Aren’t top leaders quite often strongly influence by their closest, most trusted reports? If not, seriously consider updating your resume.

You can start on the front lines. This can be extremely effective since they are the people that really have the most impact on cultural change anyway. That’s where most of your cultural capital lives––and most of that is not written down in any company manual.

At any rate, just remember that the most powerful thing you can do to create change is to change your Self. Start with your own beliefs and behaviors. Your example is the most inspirational factor in creating change. 

So let’s wrap it up with the three most powerful words that will help you lead a cultural change…

Lead by example.