The Science and Art of Culture Change

Many of my linkedin and other professional friends reached out recently enquiring about our culture change methodology triggered by one of my recent social media posts. As I often say, culture to the organization is same as operating system for your software. Yes, culture to your organization is same as IOS to iPhone. Culture is an essential element of any organization, and managing it effectively is critical for organization success.

"Culture to your organization is same as IOS to your iPhone"

The problem is that even today, people think that organization can work independently and someone sitting in HR or training team will do few sessions, organise some team building events and culture will start to develop. On the other hand we also find people making some efforts by developing a set of purpose, vision and values and start to expect results.

This is exactly where we go wrong. Culture is not a fuzzy or invisible thing that people cannot see or feel. Even in the most silent office, culture speaks the loudest. You just need to observe and you will know.

After spending a lot of time researching and working with clients all over the world, we developed our own framework to provide a structure to what could potentially sound like culture and something that we use for supporting a culture change intervention. I have had many clients come to me saying I want a culture like GE or Microsoft or Google or Unilever and so on. I wish it was that easy. Culture is a set of multiple independent but interconnected dots which must be addressed while working on a culture change journey. We have to create and build a complete ecosystem not a patch work of few training sessions and team building events.

When it comes to culture - "No one size fits all"

But how do you measure and improve your organization's culture? Our focus while building our culture map was to create a set of scientific measure which can be measured clearly and build towards a target culture just like a target operating model. That's where Change Et Al's Culture map comes in. This culture map provides a framework for assessing and improving organizational culture, with each letter of the word CULTURE representing a key element of culture.

C - Communication

Effective communication is critical for any organization, and the C in the Culture map represents Communication. This includes communication style, channels, listening forums, and more. By understanding how communication works within your organization, you can identify areas for improvement and implement changes to improve communication.

U - Unwritten Rules

The U in the Culture map stands for Unwritten Rules, which refers to the underlying assumptions and unwritten rules that govern behavior in your organization. This includes legacy and rituals that have been passed down through the years or simply by the leaders who create unwritten rules without actually saying so. By understanding these unwritten rules, you can identify any negative behaviors that may be holding your organization back and take steps to address them.

L - Leadership

Leadership is critical for any organization, and the L in the Culture map represents Leadership structure and decision-making. This includes empowerment and delegation, as well as the overall structure of your organization's leadership. By empowering your employees and delegating responsibilities effectively, you can create a more dynamic and responsive organization. Leadership in any organization should be about taking the lead, being accountable and make decisions. If your leaders are not doing that or can not do that because they are not empowered, you know where the problem lies.

T - Traits

The T in the Culture map stands for Traits, Skills, and Behavior that we value in the organization. This includes the characteristics that your organization values in its employees, such as integrity, teamwork, and innovation. By identifying and promoting these traits, you can create a more positive and productive work environment. Someone said very well what are the "Values that you Value"

U - Units of Performance Measurement

The second U in the Culture map stands for Units of Performance Measurement. This includes the key performance indicators (KPIs) that your organization uses to measure success. By aligning these KPIs with your organization's goals and values, you can create a more focused and effective organization. Are you measuring results only or also looking at the way they were achieved? Your goals may be short term as well as medium and long term. Are you clear on those and can employees understand that context? These are some of the questions to ask ourselves when we think about KPIs and metrics. They do drive behaviour.

R - Rewards and Recognition

The R in the Culture map represents Rewards and Recognition. This includes the rewards and recognition programs that your organization uses to motivate and engage employees. By creating effective rewards and recognition programs, you can create a more engaged and productive workforce. It is not just about monetary or equivalent awards, its also recognition of efforts, even sometime rewarding failures because a lot of effort went in and you are trying to promote a culture of taking risk.

E - Environment and Ecosystem

The final letter in the Culture map, E, stands for Environment and Ecosystem. This includes the infrastructure of your organization, as well as its focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. By creating a positive and sustainable work environment, you can attract and retain top talent and build a strong, resilient organization.

Having read this, think about what culture you actually want in your organization. Culture of excellence, innovation, safety, collaboration..... there are so many options. Like I mentioned earlier, there is no one size that fits all. Your organization has it's unique people, industry, process, location, market and your own existing culture. Working with your own employees you need to decide what you want to achieve and what culture you intend to have. Finally do not forget to ask yourself and your leaders if they actually have the appetite and courage to make that shift in the culture.

So, defining these components is the science but helping the organization transition in to the new culture is the art.

------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author

Karunesh Prasad is the Founder and CEO of?Change Et Al , a change management consulting and training company. Over the last several years Karunesh has been consulting, training and speaking on the topics of change management, talent mgt, gig economy and future of work for clients all over the world. As former Global Head of post merger integration at GE, Global Head of Quality & Simplification at GE GBS and various CHRO roles living and working in Singapore, India, Germany, Belgium and USA, Karunesh brings in some of the most practical concepts in change management to the forefront of his training, coaching and speaking engagements. He created the 4A Model of change and he uses that to enable change for his clients around the world.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out some of our latest freelancing opportunities on Bridge Et Al

• Chief Executive Officer - Singapore ( Long term assignment)
• Head of Business Development - Singapore (Long term assignment)
• Regional Head of HR - London ( Short term assignment)
• Change and Transformation Manager - Singapore (Long term assignment)
• Head of Internal Audit - US East Coast area. ( Short term assignment)
• Head of Operations - Singapore (Long term assignment)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listen to Ruth Gertler in discussion with Adeline L. Pang Pang talking about how do women rise and increase their visibility. There is power in owning your presence and believing that you belong in the space.

As Ruth Gertler says," To have a presence, you need to be present."

Watch this video where Priya Rao is discussing how new work models are providing flexibility and why it is important for organizations to prepare these new talent practices.