The current problem for organizations is that they must adapt to a volatile economic, political and technological environment; They must face changes quickly in order to stay on the market.
How do you adapt to these changes when workers and even the management itself refuse to change? It is difficult to get out of the comfort zone into an unfamiliar situation that can bring benefits if the organization is not really committed to change.
Each organization has a culture that works for or against itself; When this culture does not work, it becomes an incredible obstacle to achieving the desired results. To build a new culture, it is necessary to involve each of the leaders within the organization taking into account that change must occur both in the actions and in the way of thinking of the workers, without this there can be progress but not an improvement that lasts.
The first step towards a new culture is accountability; Each worker must be held responsible for their actions and the results they generate. A responsible worker accepts the fact that he is and should be part of solving a problem. Without accountability, the process of cultural change stalls, workers begin to resist initiatives designed to change results, sabotaging efforts to transform the organization; instead, through accountability, workers at different levels in the organization accept their role in facilitating change that will generate progress in results, both their own and those of the company. This attitude of taking responsibility for the results obtained provides transparency, teamwork and trust.effective communication and a precise focus on results. It is important to highlight that the first people who must accept responsibility for their actions are the directors or leaders of the organization; these by example will encourage other workers to commit to change. Cultural change works through leadership by one person, not by mass consensus. This leader must work tirelessly to bring the majority of people together to implement cultural change so that it lasts over time.Cultural change works through leadership by one person, not by mass consensus. This leader must work tirelessly to bring the majority of people together to implement cultural change so that it lasts through time.Cultural change works through leadership by one person, not by mass consensus. This leader must work tirelessly to bring the majority of people together to implement cultural change so that it lasts through time.
The second step is to clearly establish what the objectives are to be met, adapting to changes in the external environment. Every worker needs to know how their work positively affects the achievement of the stated objectives. If the objective is not clear, or is not disseminated throughout the organization, the worker will not be committed to the change or identified with the organization. It is here that all efforts to change culture fail. This problem is very common in organizations where managers set goals but do not care about communicating them to workers or explaining why the need for change, workers generally feel attacked or defensive because there is no clarity in the results that they want to get,they are more concerned with protecting their work than creating a new culture. In this type of organization there is no shared vision or goal because management has never expressed the objective they want to achieve; mediocre performance is generally accepted and even rewarded.
Alignment of all departments towards the desired results is the key to the installation of a new culture of resilience and adaptability, which prepares the organization for changes in the external environment without affecting the internal environment. The right culture generates the expected results, and to align all workers towards those results requires dialogue, commitment, debate and leadership.
The management and installation of a new culture is not an event, it is a process that never ends, it is necessary to have leaders and workers who are committed and aligned towards the results they want to obtain. This commitment is achieved in addition to explaining the need for change and the reason why a new culture should be implemented; through feedback and recognition to those workers whose actions reflect this new established culture.
The cultural change of an organization generates competitive advantages and changes in the results of any company. In the current economic situation, improvements in the performance of a company are more difficult to achieve, and the changes that generate a transformation of organizational results become increasingly important.
Analysis based on the book: Change de culture, Change the game.
Bibliographic references
- Connors, Rogers., Smith, Tom. (2001). Change the culture, Change the game: the breakthrough strategy for energizing your organization and creating accountability for results. New York. USA Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.
