“We need to change the culture of the organisation.”
It’s a phrase we’ve heard a lot recently, particularly in relation to allegations of misconduct at the CBI, and the Met Police. When an organisation is not behaving as is required, a culture change is often cited as the solution. It’s easy to say but how do you do it?
Stephen Balzac tells us that, “Culture is the residue of success. It is the accumulated wisdom of what does and what does not work in dealing with the world.” It is the stories and the learned experiences of what works.
Cultures are rooted in what has gone before.
To change the culture you need to do two things.
1. Be clear on the culture you want to create.
2. Adopt change management principles to make the change happen.
This comes down to changing people’s behaviours.
Behaviours stem from values. The right values lead to the right behaviours which, in turn, lead to the right results for your organisation.
So a clear set of values lies at the heart of culture change.
Here’s an example from the World Health Organisation. It is clear, very visual and sets out what is expected of individuals in the organisation.
Here’s another example from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. You’ll notice that if you take the first letter of each value it spells the word TRACK. Stick to the values to stay on track. It is important to make the values memorable.
But they are just words if they are not lived out. It is more natural to follow the behavioural example of others than it is to follow a set of words.
So start by identifying the values that are important to you. Encourage others in the organisation to identify the values that are important to them. When a team shares such things you can start to identify shared values; you can identify allies and agents for change, especially if people are particularly passionate about a particular value.
Explore your shared values as a group. What behaviours stem from these values? How will you all know when they are being lived and when they are not? And how will you let each other know when you notice behaviours that are in, or out, of line with your values? Give each other permission to give feedback and agree how best you’d like to give and receive that feedback.
I mentioned change management principles. Begin by creating a sense of urgency that change needs to happen. In the cases of the CBI, and the Met Police, much of that urgency has come from media attention and subsequent loss of trust. Secondly, take people with you. Listen, find the change-makers, and create a new positive future for your organisation based on values.
To change the culture of your organisation or team, start by tuning in to your personal values, and grow from there.
Credits and sources:
Main image: HowLettery iStock https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/HowLettery?mediatype=illustration
WHO values charter: https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values
Blackburn with Darwen values: https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/our-vision-missions-and-strategies/our-values-proud-be-bwd