How can you change your culture for the better?

In a previous guest post on the Broom & Moon blog, HR consultant James Rutherford shared the questions to ask to understand your culture. Here, he returns with further advice on how to actively change your culture so it supports your strategy.

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’. But, beyond being one of the more confusing tropes from corporate life, from a practical perspective, it makes no sense. 

I get the intent — however good your strategy, having a good culture will have a greater impact. That’s a sentiment I agree with. 

But culture and strategy work together. And if they’re not aligned, both are negated.

The culture you want is the one that will best enable you to achieve your strategy.

And in that logic is a hidden — but incredibly powerful — implication. 

Your organisation’s culture should be something you critically review and actively manage in the same way as other drivers of your performance. 

We should not, as is so often the norm, simply accept that this big complex culture thing is just nebulous and uninfluenceable.

How, then, do you manage your culture for success? Here are three key things to focus on:

1. Leader behaviours

All the research shows that changed behaviours create a shift in culture. But not all members of an organisation are created equal. 

A change in the behaviour of those who make important decisions — or those who influence decision makers — will have the biggest impact on an organisation’s culture. 

When people who are seen as important change their behaviour or focus on different aspects of performance, others in the organisation will notice (if not always consciously). 

Thus, the consistently displayed behaviours of all team members will shift (i.e. the culture will change).

2. Systems and processes

Changing a system or process won’t necessarily lead to a change in culture. But if you don’t change systems and processes that make aspired behaviours difficult, you’ll limit the capacity for change. 

So identifying and modifying systems and processes to better enable the behaviours you want to see should be an essential part of your change plan. Doing so will certainly accelerate the pace of change. 

For example, implementing a new CRM system won’t help you create a more customer centric organisation per se. 

But if it gives your people more time to focus on delivering for customers it will — in combination with clear expectations on behavioural chang — turbo charge the change. 

If you don’t change that CRM and your people still need to spend most of their time working on tasks that limit their time spent on customers, then that will act as a brake on progress to your goal.

3. Routines and rituals 

Like systems and processes, routines and rituals don’t, in and of themselves, create significant shifts in culture. But they do provide visual cues that indicate a change in culture. 

So what are they? 

Routines are the repetitive, predictable activities by which the business is managed. 

Rituals may be the same but can be highly informal – think team days or recognition events that people in the organisation hold dear.

The most powerful rituals are often the stories that are told about the organisation, its people and their impact. Aligning these stories to your cultural aspirations amplifies what you are trying to achieve.

Even more valuable is recognising the behaviours you want to see more of (i.e. the culture you aspire to). Celebrating those who demonstrate such behaviours — and encouraging others to do the same — has a significant amplification effect.

These three drivers of cultural change are interconnected. And as you think about taking action to create a shift in culture, it’s worth thinking about the organisation as an ecosystem.  

A common trait of ecosystems is that changes in one part will – however subtly – create a change in all parts. Thinking about multiple, connected interventions will accelerate change. Staying vigilant to unintended consequences will reduce missteps.

Culture as an ecosystem: a quick word of caution

Fired up to change your organisation’s culture where it needs to be changed?

Before you dive in, a quick word of caution.

You can’t look at culture as a project and (annoyingly for the completer finishers out there) you’ll never get to an end point in your work.

Culture, like all ecosystems, is always evolving. It will do so because the environment it is in, and the elements of the ecosystem, will change. 

While there might be periods of relative stability, stasis never happens. Even the simple act of having a new member will – however much – change your culture.

So while dramatic shifts may necessitate a change in culture (for example, new ownership, changed strategy and goals, disruptive competition, tighter cost controls), you are far better striving for incremental change.

That means approaching culture change as a rolling review rather than a big project. Sadly, you’ll never be able to claim “Mission Accomplished”. 

In actively managing your organisation’s culture you face a choice: wait until you’re forced to change or make continually improving your culture part of your culture!