We are privileged to work with many organisations that are changing their cultures to support their purpose and direction. It is rewarding to be part of the team supporting an organisation’s people to develop a picture of what they want, and then to build the behaviours, symbols and systems that will enable that picture to come to life. It is inspiring to experience the commitment of people as they strive together to ‘make it happen’.
Culture change will always bring out the best (and sometimes the ‘not so great’) aspects of people and teams. It can be exciting, challenging, frustrating, stimulating, risky, scary and fun all at the same time. Ambiguity waits on every corner. Just when we think we have everyone on board, someone is bound to ask, ‘But what about …?’
Ongoing monitoring of where the organisation is during a culture change initiative is important. It allows us to work out what might be ahead and to pre-empt some of the issues that could arise.
There is a great tool (adapted from the work of John Kotter) that supports us in doing this. I wanted to share it with you hope you will find it useful. We call it ‘See it, Own it, Do it’.
See It
People ‘see’ the future state including the intended outcomes of the culture change. They believe that leaders in the organisation are committed to making it happen rather than simply paying lip service to change.
‘Case for Change’: It is important for the organisation to build a clear and relevant ‘Case for Change’ that everyone is able to buy into. When there is no case for change, the language people use in the organisation is ‘Don’t worry, it’s not urgent’.
Committed leadership: Leaders ‘show up’ ready to be involved in the change and to lead by example. Where there is no committed leadership, the language people use in the organisation is ‘Don’t worry, it’s not real’.
Own It
People understand what the change means for them and are aware of the plan of action, how they are involved and what is expected of them.
What’s in it for me? (WIIFM): Each person is easily able to explain what the culture change means for them personally. When there is no WIIFM, the language people use is, ‘It’s not worth it’.
Concrete plan: There is a high-level plan for how the culture change will be implemented. It includes broad time frames and indicators of how people will be involved. When there is no concrete plan, you will hear, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere’.
Do it
People are provided with ongoing development to work in and through the change. The organisation’s systems are aligned to support and reinforce new ‘ways of doing things around here’.
Development: Everyone is provided with appropriate development and training to enable them to feel confident and capable through the culture change. When such development is not provided, the language people use is ‘It’s not possible’, or in some cases, ‘It’s impossible’.
Alignment: The organisation’s systems are redeveloped or adapted to support what is expected in the desired culture. When the systems do not reflect the new ‘ways of doing things around here’, the language you will hear is, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not for long’.
This simple but powerful tool is a great way of starting to determine where an organisation can put its focus to ensure culture change is being supported and enacted. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information around this – we are more than pleased to share it.
Gayle
Photo by Henri Picot on Unsplash
