Culture transformation is not for the faint of heart.
There are many hurdles to successful transformation, not the least of which is the determination to stay the course. We are all familiar with the phrase, “flavor of the month,” and this very often describes initiatives begun within organizations but which do not come to fruition for one reason or another.
Once management undertakes to do something, it always seems like the right thing to do at the time, and it is always begun with enthusiasm. However, once underway there often seems to be a wide array of things lurking in wait to waylay that initiative or move it lower on the priority list. An acquisition, a challenge in the marketplace, a new competitor, or just the day-to-day urgencies of business, are all things that can intervene to take any initiative and move it from center stage into the wings.
Like anything else, culture transformation can easily be sidetracked. However, unlike other initiatives, the consequences of doing so are much more severe. Once underway a culture transformation has made clear to the organization that there is dissatisfaction with the current state and that steps are being taken to change it.
If done well, this early communication and messaging will be clear, have been cascaded throughout the entire organization, and have engaged people’s hearts and enthusiasm around the change. They have essentially bought into the idea of the transformation, and in general, are willing to embrace it.
Given this, to then allow this transformation to take a lower place on the agenda, or receive a lower priority, is the equivalent of saying to the organization; “Either we were wrong in the first place, or it is not as important as we originally said.” Chances are that neither of these things are true, but rather that somehow the transformation initiative has simply slipped either off the radar screen or more likely just not received the same level of attention in its later stages as it did when it was initially begun.
This then identifies the first major hurdle to culture transformation: the need to stay the course. Unlike other initiatives typically a culture transformation will take 2 to 4 years, and throughout that time will require the sustained focus and attention that it initially received. The focus on culture transformation must continue despite all the possible hindrances or distractions which can occur. Once begun, people need to know that senior management remains fully committed to the sustained effort required to see the transformation fully implemented. This is not easy, and we as humans tend to want to move on to new things once old things are underway and seem to be moving well. This is a good approach in most cases, but with culture transformation, not so. Every day the full journey of culture transformation must see the same degree of focus and effort if the ultimate result is to be achieved.
The second major consideration is the other side of the same coin, and that is a recognition that true transformation will not occur quickly, nor easily. True, some individuals will embrace it immediately and make changes almost instantly. However, for the majority of the organization, it will take time. People will need to understand what is meant by the change, and what new behaviors are required; they’ll need to learn these new behaviors, and then learn to apply them.
Then there is a small percentage of each organization that will be extremely slow to adopt a new way of behaving, if at all. They present their own challenges. To begin a culture transformation is to recognize right from the outset that the journey will be one of a number of years, and that patience must be demonstrated as people understand what is required and how to behave. Given our desire to want to tackle new things, to give into other competing priorities, and the frustrations which can occur when others seem to take longer than we would like to acquire these new behaviors, it is easy to see why a culture transformation can falter.
Over time the actual transformation initiative is frequently still “officially important,” but it has been delegated. It has been passed on to someone two or three layers below those who were initially involved with spearheading its successful implementation. Management has decided that it is now well underway, and no longer needs their personal attention. They believe it will happen now if simply “managed.”
This must not be allowed to happen. Otherwise, it will slowly, and unintentionally, have become another “flavor of the month.” Rather, it must remain a high priority, and senior management must stay involved. It must be clear to the organization that the determination to see the culture move from what it is to what it needs to have not wavered in the face of other priorities, or other situations.
Once this conviction is in place it is much more likely to see continued results and in due course an acceleration of those results.