Getting rid of a blame culture , a bullying culture, a culture of distrust and cynicism, a sexist culture, a racist culture, a risk adverse culture, a paternalistic culture and replacing it with a learning culture, an empowering culture, an inclusive , creative culture , a can do culture, inevitably involves changing the way managers manage their employees.
Most leaders would like to think they are like the conductor of an orchestra whose every sweeping exaggerated movement of the baton is closely followed by each section of the orchestra and dictates their every action. But at best most chief executives would agree they can do little more than set the tone. It’s the leaders further down the organisation who determine , “how things are done around here”.
Not all managers are leaders but many are and as such they are in a position to reinforce the organisations official culture or subvert it as they see fit. Where the manager does not have the ability to inspire others and is not willing to take responsibility but acts on instruction then an unofficial leader will emerge whose agenda is more likely to be about working and behaving in a way that best suits the wants of employees rather than the needs of the organisation.
In trying to change the culture of an organisation first you must engage managers at every level. Then you must identify the leaders amongst them and get them to champion the changes. At the same time you must directly engage the front line if necessary bypassing line managers. The unofficial leaders and cynics need to be challenged and converted or isolated.
Culture change is a lengthy process and as such is about strategy rather than tactics it’s as much about stamina as it is about skill and determination. In my experience where culture change has been attempted and not fully realised it is because those driving it ran out of steam and underestimated how much effort and time it would take to get to the tipping point.
The tipping point is where the converts and believers are in the majority and the values and beliefs are so embedded in how the organisation operates that even/when key individuals/champions leave the behaviour and ways of doing things remain the same. Unfortunately many chief executive move on before this is achieved and old habits quickly return.
Culture change and the pace of that change is determined by management development and recruitment. It goes without saying that if you want to change the culture then only recruit managers who are totally onboard with that culture. Secondly any management development programme needs to focus on people management skills and reinforce the desired culture in the way managers are expected to manage.
Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
