Best Practice
10 tips from experience for a successful culture transformation
1. A vision is the starting point
If you have an image of the future with emotional traction, you can align your strategy with it and give the entire team a clear raison raison d'être. They will then be committed and able to mobilise energy even in challenging times. In this way, the company can retain valuable employees and become even more attractive to potential applicants.
2. Change always starts at the very top
Those who demand change from their employees without changing themselves will fail. It is not only about being a role model, but also about shaping paths through behaviour, clear rules, processes and communication in such a way that employees can follow the paths without having to constantly think about what is expected.
3. A transaction is not a transformation
When trying to solve a problem, the first step for managers is to actually do something: adopt measures, start projects, introduce interventions – always looking outwards. And if these don’t yield the desired results straightaway, the manager will either carry on doing more of the same or try a different approach. This is often the quickest road to success (-> see Energy Paradox graphic). But transformation involves doing things differently, and for this you need to have a clear view of yourself and a steady hand to select appropriate transactions.
4. Grass does not grow faster if you pull on it
Managers prefer to achieve good results quickly, and this is what makes transactions so popular, even if they are often not very sustainable. It usually takes time for a corporate culture to change noticeably: patience, a few setbacks, confidence and the willingness to adjust the strategy every now and then are prerequisites.
5. People come and go
Following cultural transformation, new employees will need to come on board. But sometimes a desired candidate will decline a job offer or only stay with the company for a short time, and long-standing and very valuable employees may leave. But even if it doesn't feel like it at the time, this is a good sign!
6. Communication means talking
In order to not only support change, but to help shape it as well, it is important for employees to understand why changes are necessary and where the company is heading (see Vision). And this requires more than a few intranet articles, emails, PowerPoint presentations and town hall meetings. A considerable amount of discussion is needed here, also in an informal setting, between line managers and their teams. Over and over again.
7. Appearances can be deceptive
For any company, it is important that its external presence, i.e. the claims made on its website, in its advertising, on social media, in presentations, in brochures, at town hall meetings and in press releases, are more attractive than the reality – to a degree. But if the image portrayed is too unauthentic, this will lead to cynicism and sooner or later the corporate culture and thus productivity will start to erode.
8. Turn players into participants
In most modern companies, buzzwords such as agility, empowerment, diversity and sustainability are liberally thrown around. Yet, many decisions are still being made by top management alone, instead of by individual teams devising their own solutions, developing them together and reaching a decision. This approach would be quicker and would transform the buzzwords into a living culture.
9. Celebrate success
In the face of so much ambition and lofty aspiration, many achievements are no longer recognised as such or are overlooked in the stress of everyday life. However, nothing brings teams together more than shared success. We are not talking about excessive praise or a lot of fuss about nothing, but simply a little bit of mutual appreciation, pride and joy can really boost team spirit.
10. Transformation is no walk in the park
Personal transformation can be arduous and painful: discovering weaknesses in yourself instead of only in others, receiving critical feedback instead of only giving it. And just when you think you have reached your goal, new obstacles and setbacks always crop up. Resisting the temptation to take a shortcut via the transaction or switching to the factual level and operational issues is exhausting, but it is well worth the effort (-> see graphic: Energy Paradox).
