why is cultural change so hard? course hero

by Alanis Johnson 7 min read

I've come to the conclusion that culture change is difficult for three reasons: Folks want to get to heaven but they don't want to go to church. It's not change...it's another "to do"

Full Answer

Why is it so hard to change culture?

This is because culture lives in people’s unconscious assumptions. Any cultural change therefore requires you to first help people to understand what these unconscious assumptions are and then to reframe and align them to the desired culture.

How do you help people change their culture?

Any cultural change therefore requires you to first help people to understand what these unconscious assumptions are and then to reframe and align them to the desired culture. Take, for example, a strategic shift from selling products to selling solutions.

Do CEOs need to change their culture to achieve success?

People at all levels may recognise the need for cultural change, but unless the CEO believes their personal success is linked to culture change, it won’t happen. Culture change almost always requires the CEO to change and if they’re not fully committed, the wider change won’t stick.

Why is culture so important in the workplace?

When everything else keeps shifting, culture is the one constant. And because of this, culture, more than any policy or procedure, will guide every decision made and action taken by the organisation’s employees, partners and providers. This isn’t just a theory.

How does culture change?

Culture change is hard, but our research has identified three critical success factors for making it happen: 1 The CEO must believe in the need for change. People at all levels may recognise the need for cultural change, but unless the CEO believes their personal success is linked to culture change, it won’t happen. Culture change almost always requires the CEO to change and if they’re not fully committed, the wider change won’t stick. 2 Employee engagement needs to go deep. Both leaders and frontline employees need to believe they will only achieve their goals and have the impact they want to have if they shift their mindsets and change their behaviour. This requires a much deeper level of engagement that taps into people’s intrinsic motivation and helps them see how the changes are necessary for them to achieve their own purpose. 3 It needs to feel as easy as possible. People must be enabled to make the necessary changes to act in alignment with the new culture. This means ensuring they’re rewarded for the right behaviours and the organisation is set up with the right teams doing the right work with the right tools to execute the strategy.

What are the three critical success factors for culture change?

Culture change is hard, but our research has identified three critical success factors for making it happen: The CEO must believe in the need for change. People at all levels may recognise the need for cultural change, but unless the CEO believe s their personal success is linked ...

When everything else keeps shifting, is culture the one constant?

When everything else keeps shifting, culture is the one constant. And because of this , culture, more than any policy or procedure, will guide every decision made and action taken by the organisation’s employees, partners and providers. This isn’t just a theory.

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