Change management

Author: David A. Fors
Translator: Fu Jia, Wang Lei, Huang Ying
Country: United States
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Top 10 Tips for Transforming Corporate Culture
1. We create culture 100 percent. Even cynicism and indifference are part of corporate culture. Smart people know what to do, and your choices create culture.
2. As the spiral pyramid model tells us, it’s impossible not to communicate; culture is the same. We can’t not create culture.
3. Some people choose to tolerate, maintain, or reshape the past culture instead of creating a new one. Even so, it’s still innovation.
4. Certain cultures are indeed shaped by authoritarian leadership. But that means they are clearer and more focused, actively creating rather than tolerating in their own way.
5. Except for a few exceptions, the power of culture generally exceeds individual behavior because culture pulls people back into the past (see the figure on page 142). Except in rare cases, culture in people’s behavior is neither stubborn nor malicious. If you want to steer the company toward customer-centric values, and others seem stuck in the old tech-first mindset, they can’t intentionally make things difficult for you. They act according to their own logic: tech-first brings success, tech-first brings success, tech-first brings success. Imagine how confused they would be if you said tech-first isn’t enough. Understand their confusion, don’t punish them for resistance—this is the right path forward.
6. Remember, in corporate culture transformation, what you’re changing isn’t just your company’s culture but the overall culture. Many cultural norms that now seem to hinder or suppress people are merely products of the previous stage. Almost since its inception, the company has been designed to establish order, strive for consistency, and institutionalize behavior. People have adapted to this reality: business activities have fostered a "workplace locational culture" adopted by nearly all companies over the years (individual company cultures are just variants), which includes obedience, no disruption, adherence to rules, harmony, and profitability. We must remember that the era we live in is a development of the old "workplace locational culture" experienced by our parents and grandparents. Only now are we inclined to create a corporate culture that unleashes potential, maximizes creativity, and acquires knowledge. Change the notion that organizational operations should yield immediate results. Adjust the organization’s structure and systems to suit and benefit long-term goals. So, how long will it take to reshape a "workplace locational culture" in society to adapt to this new type of organization? A few years, or a generation? People will react differently to the liberation brought by this new "workplace locational culture," and to varying degrees of enlightenment.
7. Culture is learnable and changeable
As individuals, we are ultimately malleable entities shaped by our environment. People create environments and are shaped by them. That’s why transformation largely involves discarding old behaviors.
8. Culture is a dynamic, ever-changing system
This means there’s no end to learning. In other words, the ability to learn is inherent in a culture, unless artificially constrained (in the movie Jurassic Park, the terrifying velociraptors were most frightening because of their learning ability, making them closer to us humans). The fact that culture is constantly changing gives us great comfort when considering transformation.
The Four Departments
Q Department Goals:
· Listen to market information to understand its demands on the company and then develop learning plans or clearly defined strategic plans based on it.
· Anticipate market changes as much as possible, allowing the company to focus its efforts in the "right" direction.
· Promote the idea within the company that a problem can trigger many others; thus, frustration and confusion are inevitable byproducts of living in a contradictory and ever-changing era, not because we’re foolish.
T Department Goals:
· Promote the above facts and reflect on them (rather than choosing one over the other).
· Synthesize information gathered from various sources to create a repository of potential solutions to problems.
· Research and develop new, creative production methods and products, as well as improve existing ones, based on the information and plans provided by the Q Department.
A Department Goals:
· Regularly review the company’s beliefs, assumptions, and actions to prevent stagnation, complacency, and other obstacles.
· Provide an information repository of skills, tools, and experts to facilitate transformation.
· Ensure the application of new concepts to formulate new goals and actions.
R Department Goals:
· Study the company’s historical goals and development patterns to offer a holistic understanding of the company and its future strategic direction.
· Provide balanced, judgmental, and perceptive leadership that reflects real-world needs.
· Foster a safe and supportive environment to discuss critical and challenging issues.
Transformation is Something to Celebrate
For the wise, connecting with others is an essential element of making work enjoyable. It can be a chance encounter that sparks debate and sows seeds of brilliant ideas (this is why British Airways’ new headquarters is built around a walkway named "Street," designed to encourage spontaneous interactions). It can also be the sense of purpose you feel (even temporarily) when you realize your work adds value to the world. It can be the only exciting thing in an otherwise mundane day—a small group gathering; or the charity marathon your four of you held last year.
I want to discuss a more formal form of communication in the rest of this chapter—the company’s celebration events. Celebrations or rituals give people a chance to emphasize certain ideas, honor special people and events. They mark transitions and are an ancient, universal phenomenon present in all cultures—the world over, everyone has experienced and understands their meaning. Yet this form is still underutilized in the business world. The next section of this chapter will show how it can become a critical factor in the success or failure of any transformation initiative.
Transformation brings loss; specific rituals signal that people’s lives will change, helping them move on from the past (this is what we do at funerals and wakes).
Transformation brings innovation; rituals or gatherings are an excellent way to publicly celebrate success, praise specific values and behaviors, or simply welcome new things in the company (as we do at weddings or baby-naming ceremonies).
Changes are constantly happening; a celebration can mark the beginning or end of a phase or cycle (like the hangover after New Year’s Eve), while also reflecting on progress made and setting new goals.
Of course, these purposes can also be achieved through other means: writing a memo, sending an email, or giving a brief speech at the end of a meeting. But holding a ritual or celebration gives you a chance to let employees unwind from the stress and pressure of their busy schedules,. It allows you to use the valuable company resource—time—to do something special.
Celebrations in businesses, when they exist at all, are often poor gatherings held in an office at the end of a project or the year. These celebrations often have the following characteristics:
· Purely logical arrangements (who, when, which liquor store, how much alcohol), without regard for the purpose, tone, or agenda of the event.
· "Anywhere is fine as long as it can accommodate the guests" location.
· Characterized by poor quality materials (cheap alcohol and decorations), which also seems to reflect the organizers’ attitude toward the event.
· Another feature is a leader with little connection to the attendees delivering a hastily prepared, few-word speech.
· The gathering starts and ends in a rush, moving quickly.
The intention behind such gatherings is impeccable. We instinctively know that bringing employees together at the same time and place helps strengthen team spirit. We know that food, drinks, or decorations can make such gatherings more lively. And even the lowest-standard corporate celebrations include some routine procedures—award ceremonies, speeches by leaders. In this sense, even the most awkward office gatherings share some similarities with the most enthusiastic, well-themed ones.
So why should we force ourselves to learn how to do better? We should now recognize that organizing a good celebration is a skill, even an art. Most companies lack it or don’t do it well. Many believe that as long as the invited and expected guests are present, a celebration is a success. Worse, they think that organizing a celebration itself is a generous act, regardless of how terrible it is.
Rituals and ceremonies are universal forms of celebration. Almost all meaningful rituals share the same characteristics. Think of a familiar ceremony: the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Its main features include:
· Emphasizing the importance of the event—letting everyone know the purpose of the ceremony and how it will be achieved. It has its own budget and resources, and is meticulously planned long in advance. Every detail is rehearsed—not just the obvious parts like the dance troupe, but also every element that ensures its smooth execution, from ticketing, crowd control, and evacuation to restroom facilities.
· An appropriate venue—of course, the Olympic Stadium for the Olympics. Perhaps there aren’t many choices for a venue that can accommodate 70,000 people, but remember that the stadium is the right choice. Its vastness—just the size of the venue alone—matches the atmosphere of the occasion. It can accommodate audiences in different locations and also—because of its red and field markings—naturally reminds viewers of the purpose of sitting there: to watch the upcoming sports competition.
· Inspiring music—to set the tone of the venue, focus the audience’s attention, and highlight the stage for the ceremony.
· Intentional use of silence—for the same reasons.
· Ritualized or stylized activities—such as parades and dances.
· Attire—distinctive national costumes, officials in bright uniforms.
· Symbols—flags, the five rings on the Olympic flag, torches, torchbearers.
· Speeches—to emphasize the continuity of the Olympics from past to future, its historical and mythological roots, and its connection to people around the world.
· Procedures—the Olympics follow a certain sequence, much like a church ceremony.
· Aesthetics—lighting, sound, color, and shape can make the entire event more beautiful.
· Participation—the audience attending the Olympics and other ceremonies does so to watch and actively engage in the celebration.
When you attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics, you are certainly aware that you are at a special time and place—you are also aware that four years ago and for the next hundred years, thousands of others will join you there. But most importantly, the ceremony gives you a chance to participate in a meaningful event, whether through singing, clapping, cheering, or even holding up the pre-designed cheering sign at the right moment. It is a collective experience, and the individual you becomes part of the whole.