Organisational Change & Culture

Cultural change is a term used by psychologist and executives to describe change at a societal or organisational level.  It generally requires the creation of new social structures and for people to adopt new cultural traits, behavior patterns, or social norms.  The X4MIS Change Management Methodology does not delve into the psychology of change, it focuses on the processes, tools and procedures required to enable people to adopt new ways of working. 

X4MIS and human behaviour

While the X4MIS Change Management Methodology does not focus on human psychological behaviour, our focus on the "adoption of new ways of working" will directly and indirectly affect peoples behaviour when sustained over time.

There are several tools and processes defined in the methodology to identify and manage human behaviour like the Manage the People section in the Manage function and Optimising the Adoption in the Embed function.

Considerations for an organisational change 

While there can be significant challenges, we don't believe it's necessary to have a degree in human behaviour to modify a company's culture (read 5 things your change consultant won't tell you).  We believe people inherently want to be a part of a good culture (certainly, no one wants to be part of a bad culture). Consider the following concepts:

Define the change

• Align the new culture to the organisation's vision, values and strategy or Visa-versa
• Use surveys, focus groups, and other data collection techniques to confirm the extent of change. Data, once it has been gathered, can be used to understand the current state (story) and as a basis for creating, modifying, or reinvigorating the future state (story).
• Describe the behaviours that fit the new culture. It's simple to declare integrity as a culture, however, you must also specify the behaviours and acts that exhibit integrity.  This transforms the concept of integrity from a sound bite to practical behaviour people can understand. 

Launch and implement 

• Experience with previous cultural change programmes confirms change happens, most easily, from the top down.  However, the Change Sponsor role is not just about their position in the organisation. The Sponsor is the visible champion of the change, articulating the vision and direction to all stakeholders and demonstrably living the change.
• Leadership and stakeholders already walk the walk demonstrating the new behaviours that supports the culture. They must act as role models for the new way of working, demonstrating to the organisation that it is real and that all levels can exhibit it.
• Use the experts in communications, HR and Marketing to organise a launch event to emphasis this is serious business and we are committed.

Continue and grow momentum

• Organisational projects frequently get off to a fiery start before losing steam.  Continually communicate the importance of the culture shift, keep moving forwards and maintain focused.
  
• Use a phased method to implement the cultural change depending on its size.  For instance, it could be beneficial to concentrate on one value per month for modifications that add numerous new values to the organisation.
• Develop ways for employees to support the change and by promoting ownership for the new ways of working.  Individuals will support something they helped create and maintain engagement.  The shift becomes more personal, and it arouses their emotions, giving them a sense of belonging to something that is progressing in the right way. 
• Showcase the desired behaviour via staged demonstrations. These are great for assisting staff in adopting the new behaviours especially when led by senior stakeholders.
• Safe Houses where workers feel free to use the new behaviours are useful when change is significant from the old ways. 
• Roles and job descriptions must be updated to reflect the new behaviours. They must be included in recruitment efforts as well. All job applicants should be questioned in order to determine whether or not they would fit in well with the new culture. 

Manage resistance

• Some employees may fight the change, while others may occasionally veer off course, therefore you must identify and manage resistors. 
• Identify corrective measures which can be used elsewhere if certain incidences of resistance have been identified and corrected. 
• Ensure adjustments are consistent with the new culture. 

Communicate, communicate and communicate

• Continue to use a variety of mediums to routinely inform staff and establish expectations.  Create branding for the initiative as well, such as a project icon, symbols, or consistent collateral. By doing this, the messages for your initiative stand out from the business as usual communications. 
• Creating a knowledge base or activities website to provide quick access to correspondence, schedules, frequently asked questions, training materials, and any other resources you choose to make available. 
• The new ideals and the behaviours that represent them need to be taught.  The type of training might vary greatly depending on the change. This can take the shape of official, instructor-led training sessions or employee reference books. 
•  Collect feedback at all levels, and encourage staff to share new ideas and offer alternatives when a new culture demands for increased collaboration. 

Measure and reward

• What is measured, they say, is managed. It is crucial to evaluate the culture's performance and get input. It is crucial to remember that measuring should be a continuous process rather than a single occurrence. To identify any discrepancies between desired behaviour and actual behaviour, use surveys, focus groups, etc. To spot disparities, you can also look at current measures like absenteeism, performance, etc. 
• Recognize staff members publicly when they exhibit the desirable characteristics. This may sway those who aren't already convinced. Consider giving out generous prizes; promotions are certainly a possibility. These Change Champions can revolutionise and foster the Change much more effectively within the business.