Post on 14-Apr-2017
Adam FisherReading
September 2015
STEP IN & DRIVE IT
Ignore culture at your peril...
What’s the problem?Why does it matter?How do you measure your risk?What can you do about it?
tradition perception
beliefs
feelingsunwritten
rules
stories habits
Comfortzones
We’d like to think this is how we operate
but often… it isn’t
vision
valuesstructure
goals
colleaguesagainst
virtuallyeverything
infighting
misalignment
disengagementmyths
cynicismfear of the unknown
assumptions
complacency
hubris
Is any organisation immune from the effects of disruptive change?
Successful change is unlikely to emerge from a resistant culture – the organisation may:
be left behind, lose competitive edge and/or become irrelevant
fail to attract or retain staff, customers, partners, donors, volunteers…
lose public trust, interest and/or reputation
Do you want to be a follower?
or to rise above the rest?
Why does it matter?
Getting left behind... … they didn’t see it coming
Loss of reputation...
Bottom of the
IN tray
Haphazard efforts, false
starts
Anxiety frustrationdelay & risk
A fast start that
fades out
clearsharedvision
pressurefor
change
capacity for change
Successful change comes in many forms4 key elements dictate the odds
actionable plan
Experience tells us success will only come against the odds
Culture is most directly linked to the capacity for change – many symptoms can be used to calibrate this. Consider where behaviours in your organisation lie between:
silos joined-uphow? why?
cost value
introvert extrovert
stagnation innovation
talk the talk walk it
Measuring your risk
Some other pointers
misinterpretation effective communication
engagement – none visceral
opaque responsibility clear accountability
avoid failure learn from mistakes
hierarchical constructive empowerment
knee jerk, short term proactive, strategic
analysis paralysis bias for action
What can you do about it? One size doesn’t fit all - tune in to relevant politics and behaviours
Keep your eyes open for CAVEmen - manage your energy
Find other change agents - they may be anywhere - and turn them into allies
Ensure you understand business aims, meet and extend them... improve the perception & credibility of IT
Look to technology to deliver a feel for the “art of the possible”... use this to erode cultural obstacles to success
Ensure that any change project is managed with emotional intelligence, persuasive powers, foresight and intuition
Tailor communication with rich metaphors and relevant examples… show what’s in it for your audience
Much has been said and written
Successful change is easier when people want it, and are excited by the possibilities
People choose to engage – you can’t make them – but you can create an environment that will encourage them to choose
Stay positive and keep your nerve throughout what will be a complex, slow process measured in years
Even if you want things to stay the same, chances are that something has to change
Ignore culture at your peril...
Questions & discussion