Culture Transformation at Your Organization: Why, How, and When?
Understanding your company culture can be a challenge. Over the last few years, organizations have become wise to the concept of culture and experience and are starting to (rightly) link it to the productivity of an organization, the happiness of its employees, and even the amount of revenue it can generate.
Knowing about your organization is one thing. We cannot change what we cannot measure - but on the other side of the coin, what is the point of measuring something if you can’t change it? Once you have a good handle on what your company represents, it is important to start making changes for the better. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start at the beginning.
What is company culture?
Company culture is the set of shared values that define how employees behave and what they believe in. It is an intangible, but real thing that lives in the space between everything else at your company, whether your offices are in-person or remote.
It is the culture that defines how people in the company behave and interact with each other (and with customers, for that matter). Company culture is not just about what you do, it is also about who you are. It defines who you are as a person and what your values are. If you see signs of a bad company culture, then it’s time for a change.
Why is Cultural Change Important?
There are two reasons to undergo a cultural change in your organization. The first reason is the bottom line. It directly affects employee engagement, productivity, and turnover rates. But there is also a moral reason.
As a manager or worker who is responsible for employee experience, you are in a position of power. It is your responsibility to make sure that the people who are working for you are raised up rather than put down - they spend a huge proportion of time at your company, and this significantly influences their work-life balance and overall happiness. Workplace mental health is incredibly important.
Culture Transformation 101: How to Change a Company’s Culture
Measurement
Every company is different, of course. But all culture transformation projects start in the same way: measurement.
The most important thing when trying to change company culture is understanding the current one. While this naturally lends itself to a number of interviews and surveys, it is important to consider a data-first approach that can be quantified. Many people tend to steer clear of this method, as it naturally is more involved - but the results are worth it.
There are so many ways to approach measurement - but if you are looking for inspiration, check out our blog on How to Measure Employee Experience, which is a key component of company culture.
Understanding the Data That You Have Gathered
You have the data - now read it. It is surprising how many people miss this crucial step, ignoring the data that they have collected and assuming that it fits their predictions. Listen, analyze, and understand. Actively listen to what people are saying in the various surveys that you have sent out. Analyze the data that you have gathered, like employee turnover and number of sick days used. Understand how the data tells a story, and where it differs from the anecdotal thoughts that you may have had beforehand.
It can be so tempting to rush into a project like this - but by letting the information properly sink in and affect you, you will be in a better position to make changes to your workplace culture. If you don’t, chances are you will be doing this all again later. Make speed, not haste.
Planning for Change
Planning and execution are separate for a reason. I shouldn’t have to tell you how important planning and execution are, but I might have to tell you to finish your plan before executing. A lot of the time, we can get so excited with the first stage of a strategy that we start implementing before we have finished the whole plan.
Get feedback on your strategy from stakeholders. Company culture affects everyone in the organization, as well as anyone who interacts with your organization on a daily basis (such as customers and vendors). It’s vital to ensure that everyone is on board.
Measurement is mentioned in this article more than once for a good reason. It is important to make sure that you have a plan for analysis post culture change as well as pre culture change - think about what success looks like, and how to qualify, quantify, or confirm that success.
Enacting Change
Now is the time for the exciting part - the actual transformation. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, it takes a while to turn an oil tanker, and other overused metaphors. Culture, while intangible, is heavy and tough. It can take a while to make changes, so don’t get disheartened at the first hurdle.
Cultural change is the most difficult type of change for employees to get used to. It's a tough transition for employees to go through, but it's important that they understand that this is not just a temporary situation. This shift in culture will be around for a long time and it's up to you to make the best out of it.
As with most things in life, clear communication makes this process easier. Tell the people at your organization that you want to make a difference and explain how you are going about that change.
The Next Steps
Facing a cultural transformation at your organization can be intimidating, but exciting. Changing the culture of your organization is a big task, but it can have untold benefits. Just remember that you don’t have to do it all at once.
Perhaps you know that you need to make some changes. Don’t let the outline above put you off from making a start. Instead, start to listen. Think about what company culture, culture transformation, and employee experience mean to you and the people you work with. Discuss the values and beliefs that your organization says they have and compare that to what is actually being expressed by the people you work with, from the leadership team to the everyday workers.
Culture transformation is worth it - trust me. I’ve seen the benefits firsthand. So, make a start today.
Need more inspiration? Check out our '"5 Great Books Supporting Company Culture” blog post.
Uncharted Way can help with measuring and improving the employee experience at your organization. We have a three-step process that puts an emphasis on data and actionable strategies to help you create the company culture that works for you and your bottom line. Schedule a 15-minute introductory call today.
Meridith Marshall is the CEO and Founder of Uncharted Way and has seen firsthand how people and organizations can navigate the most difficult of circumstances with clarity and openness to improve employee experience and culture in their workplace. She is an industry-recognized expert in using a data-driven approach, and is an Interaction Associates trained facilitator and certified Co-Active coach.