Organisational Change Management Volume 1
Framework 29 Yahoo's Way
{product-noshow 17|name|cart|picture|link|border|menuid:206|pricedis3|pricetax1}
Introduction
"... to affect true cultural transformation, the structure, every system and process must reinforce the desired culture. And worse, all leaders must embrace new attitudes and conduct their activities in new and different ways. HR leadership cannot go it alone in these endeavors. Changing the culture requires the efforts of everyone in the enterprise..."
Libby Sartain, 2004
Ingredients for cultural change at Yahoo
Start the cultural conversations at all levels
Use cultural assessment or audit of the organisation through employee surveys, focus groups or interviews
Identify facts that reinforce and drive the organisation's culture, such as organisational history, leadership styles, industry practices, etc
Find answers for the following questions
- what is your customer's experience?
- what cultural elements are obvious to customers?
- is culture aligned with business strategy?
- where have we disconnected with our customers?
- what needs to change?
Develop a business case for cultural change
Find answers to the following questions
- what are the changes needed?
- how will desired changes in culture support the business strategy?
Work with the senior leadership team to determine the desired culture
Core values, desired behaviours and shared visions are essential for a positive cultural change effort to succeed
Every leader must embrace the need to change
Senior leaders must "walk the talk" and make new behaviours their way of life to reinforce the desired change
Develop an agenda or action plan for enhancing the culture or bringing about change
Start with the highest priorities and work on the toughest issues
For the new culture to become self-replicating, the core values and culture must be reinforced by behaviours and attitudes
Communicate what needs to change and why
Solicit input from everyone
Once the required change and process for change is defined, inform everyone what is expected
Advise everyone of the rewards for changing and its consequences
Change the organisational structure to enable change
Find new ways to accomplish work tasks
Use teams on particular projects
Broaden roles and responsibilities
Acquire talent based on cultural fit
Identify the characteristics of people who exhibit the desirable behaviours in everything they do
Give preference in staff selection to cultural fit over expertise/knowledge
Remove staff who don't fit the culture
Redesign your recruitment process
Check the cultural fits of new employees so that they understand the cultural imperatives of the organisation
Using stories, explain the drivers that lead to success and failure in the organisation
Create cultural messages
Ensure that every activity communicates the cultural messages and reinforces the values, mission, traditions and practices that are required in the change process
Involve everyone
Use focus groups, cross-functional teams, informal networks, meetings, etc to encourage identification of cultural disconnects and recommend remedies
Build an internal brand that supports the external brand
Deliver consistent employee experience
Ensure that employees know how to differentiate the positives and negatives of their experiences
Create an employer of choice reputation, internally and externally
Recognize and reward results
The recognition and reward systems should support the culture that you are working to reinforce
Cultivated leaders who promote your culture
Identify and develop leaders who are appropriate role models (including suitable leadership development programs)
Constantly reinforce the appropriate cultural messages
Remove obstacles (including staff) who do not support and reinforce the cultural message
Make it interesting and fun
Create contests, activities, events, celebrations etc that enhance the culture
Re-organise office layout to reinforce the cultural direction
Use HR techniques
Every activity should reinforce the basic behaviours and values behind the cultural direction
Staff reviews should measure cultural fit as well as job performance
Remember:
"...No one should be locked out of the efforts to build a high-performance culture. Culture has become the DNA that forms the building blocks over everything else. So the entire organisation must have a role in keeping it alive. Work with corporate communications, advertising and marketing to capture the cultural message and to tout these internally and externally. Let product management see the new product development manifests the cultural values in the way it responds to marketplace demand for quality and service. Work with the legal department to demonstrate the company culture by developing ethical standards and a code of conduct that is not just in compliance but also the right thing to do...... you must achieve buy-in from everyone, from the CEO all the way down..."
Libby Sartain, 2004
(source: Libby Sartain, 2004)
