This week we are studying Organizational Culture. When new leadership comes into an established organization, often times they will try to change the culture. This can be met with resistance as most of us are resistant to change.
This week, your task is to find an article or web page on organizational change. Describe one thing you found which you believe will assist with cultural change. Explain why. Be sure to include your citation.
When ready to post, scroll down and select “Reply.”
70 Comments for “M13 – Culture Change”
atfinnigan
says:I read an article called, “Changing Views and Opportunities for Women in Construction” (By Charlie Myers, 2019). The piece talked about something that I have witnessed first hand. With an aging workforce and competition for skilled labor on the rise women have been entering the construction industry in increasing numbers. I have personally worked the Alaskan construction industry since I was 17 years old, at 37 I have seen a lot change in 20 years. When I first started working in the industry there were very few women working in it. As time has moved on more women have entered the construction workforce a now hold a lot of the top positions. The last site visit I performed on a project we have going in California it was more than 50% women on the workforce and they held all the positions of Quality Control and Safety, the higher paying jobs. Their was an incredible need for talented labor to enter the workforce and women have exceedingly stepped in to that roll. I see this as a major positive to the industry as it has brought an entirely new set of ideas and problem solving skills.
jsferlauto
says:The article I found specifically applied to the fire service, but can also apply to other types of organizations like police departments and really any that commonly experience traumatic events. It was about the culture of safety where workers will seek out mental and behavioral health and not be stigmatized because of it. In days past when firefighters, EMT’s, and others saw things that stayed with them for extended periods of time, they couldn’t seek mental health without assuming they would be ridiculed or stigmatized. The modern fire service is evolving to taking a different approach where it is accepted and encouraged to seek help. One of the culture changes that the article advises is integrating behavioral heath into individual departments health and wellness efforts. I agree with this because it helps to remove any kind of adverse feelings by coworkers. If employees of fire departments know that they can go to their work friends with mental health issues, there is more trust between them when something particularly traumatic goes down.
https://www.nvfc.org/how-fire-service-culture-can-drive-good-behavioral-health/
Saskia.Parkerson
says:I like that the link that you found was specific to the fire service but could be applied to more than one area. The one that I found could be applied anywhere really but the military. As sad as it sounds you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit when it comes to the military. Its quite simply put, even if you do complain the likely hood of change actually happening is not likely.
mabarreto2
says:There’s a saying in the fire service that states “100 years of traditional unimpeded by progress.” This is true about the culture in the fire service. It has only been recent that changes have been made. One of the subjects that they talk about is the use of tobacco. I remember a firefighter telling me he remembers his captain standing in the middle of rubble after a fire smoking a cigarette. More recently they’ve banned the use of tobacco in and out the station. This comes due to a large number of firefighters getting cancer after their careers have ended. Because they cannot determine whether the cancer came from exposure to the elements of firefighting or the use of tobacco, they have banned tobacco completely. You can lose your job if they see you smoking outside of the station on your day off. You now sign an agreement to not use tobacco even on your off days. But some argue that it is tradition in the fire service, at one point even encouraged.
I find it interesting to see the progress that the fire service has shown over the years. More recently, the fire service focuses on safety in everything they do. They’ve lost too many first responders to events that could’ve been easily prevented if they had let go of culture and tradition and focused on the facts of the matter. For example, seatbelt use was frowned upon among firefighters. Even now, EMTs and Paramedics usually do not wear seatbelts when working on patients in the back of ambulences. Recently, a known first responder that I know was involved in accident in the back of an ambulence, and he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, he tumbled in the back of the ambulence when the ambulence overturned from being hit. These are cultural traditions that need to change to keep first responders safe. Slowly they’re making changes. It is interesting to see the how organizational culture has evolved over time.
https://www.firerescue1.com/cod-company-officer-development/articles/3-keys-to-changing-fire-service-culture-U6kiSpDo5knaUeLA/
fagallagherroach
says:Describe one thing you found which you believe will assist with cultural change.
The one thing I believe that will assist with cultural change is communication. I strongly believe in openness within an organization. Top management should convey their ideas and reasoning for the decisions and their vision of the company’s goals and values. This should trickle down to the lowest levels of the organization. I also believe that information should flow upward. Employees should not be stifled to pass on information. In his TEDx Talk, Jay Wilkinson, shares his beliefs in what makes a strong company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDFqEGI4QJ4. One of his opening statement of things he has learned is that “People are what really makes a strong companyâ€. And how after his mistakes he learned that the company needed to share everything: be open and authentic in their values. He learned that you can learn from everyone.
jbjohnkins
says:I think you are totally correct I think communication through employees is very important. Not just with your employees, but with your own mangers
ateslow
says:I liked how the speaker in the video used his past experience, and learned and became a better manger from it. He has a lot of interesting things to say about the cultures in different fields of business. However, employee’s can sometimes compromise business strategies, while being open with ones employee’s is very important, from an ethical standpoint. However somethings are better off to be said later, in order for a potential outcome to be reached. I think its the management’s to do whats best for the company and employees, and the employee’s duty to trust in there management, at least until given a reason not to.
rsrudoy
says:hello!
Great post! I agree that communication is essential. I feel like most of the time, management never tells regular employees about their or company ideas or what the organization has in store. If management was open to everyone there wouldn’t be misunderstandings within the organization and change would be accepted with open arms.
Saskia.Parkerson
says:Hello,
I agree with you fully. Communication is the key to everything. Even shops, offices, squads, or whatever your team calls themselves that have been working together forever, still struggle with the communication. The more that they work on that the more smoothly their team or shop will work together. So I think your post hit right on the button on how to deal with change. Make sure to have open communication with the team, let them know that the change is happening and that you are willing to listen to any concerns so you can squash them right then and there.
Chris
says:As a former employee of FedEx, I can honestly say that I have experienced what cultural behavior is. At FedEx the culture is a sense that every employee plays an important role in, not only the success of the company, but in their own personal success. The mantra is “I am FedEx”. The FedEx company is a very employee friendly and takes great strides to ensure that every employee is taken care of. I have seen acts extended by the company that were extremely beyond what would be expected out of a Fortune 100 global company. If included a link to an article that demonstrates the culture that has been built at FedEx by empowering employees from the bottom up to take ownership in the company’s success. The term used in the FedEx article was about the term “cultural inertia”. The author describes cultural inertia as “the tendency for a group of people to cling to traditions and ways of thinking that have outlived their usefulness even when better ways are presented”. The article talks about an initiative named “Fuel Sense”. I had the opportunity to see this concept in the works and can honestly say that I witnessed a sense of ownership from entry level employees to the pilots that flew the planes. As you read though this article you will hear the same message “we’re FedEx”. It was through the Fuel Sense initiative that steps were employed by all of the employees which by doing so saved the company millions of dollars. As a former employee I can honestly share that when things are accomplished that save the company money, the company responds with significantly reward its employees.
Resource:
How We Overcame Cultural Inertia and Saved Millions. (2015, July 22). Retrieved from https://about.van.fedex.com/blog/how-we-overcame-cultural-inertia-and-saved-millions/.
Austyn
says:Its so awesome when a company actually puts an emphasis on taking care of employees. How come you are a former employee if they treated you so well?? Good article about culture in an organization. Especially since you have first hand experience to compliment it.
arbankston
says:I think the most important part of organizational change to be successful is to have a good cause for change, especially is an organization is already successful as it is. However, success is not something you reach and have it remain. You constantly have to work towards success and that means you need to be evolving and changing with the ever-changing means of success in whatever market the organization is in. Once the need for change is identified, it is then easier to determine what steps need to be made and how the change can be implemented.
https://hbr.org/2019/08/4-tips-for-managing-organizational-change
bfarnes
says:I would think that in addition to having a good cause for a change the company would also need to do a good job of explaining that to their employees. I wonder how many change initiatives have failed at companies over the years simply because, while the change was for a good reason, and vital to both the company and the employees, management did a poor job of explaining the “why†behind the change. On the other hand I was once at a large biotech that sold itself to a pharma company, and the executives did a great job of explaining that the change was good because we made a lot of money for shareholders, which didn’t really go over well with all the people getting laid off. So there probably also has to be a good understanding of who exactly the change is good for.
mawetherington
says:There were so many great articles about cultural change, but one that I felt that was vital to report about was “Cultural Change is in Every Change†by Cinthya Quijano. It is no secret that it is important, if not necessary for change to occur within a company on an organizational level. Quijano explains, that organizations that are innovating, evolving and challenging the status quo are the corporations thriving at the moment (because this can change), but they will need to change as the cultural climate permits (2013). I liked that she asks the reader to recall changes that they have helped implement or they have seen take place within their company’s culture. She used the example of Nokia and how it remained comfortable with their typical line of products, yet no shift or innovation came out and Apple quickly took their spot (2013). Organizational Behavior also touches on this aspect referring to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and its environment (Robbins, 530). Although change is not always immediate and it can experience fluctuation, it is essential to explore and define the values of the organization. Quijano says, you cannot make people change; however, you can begin a dialogue centered around what is important and co-creating value systems to create a cultural shift that way everyone is a part of the process (Quijano, 2013). From personal experience, this also makes it easier for those who are new hires who will be joining and contributing to the innovation process. The textbook explains the benefits of a positive ethical work climate, which are the shared concepts of right and wrong behavior as part of the organization’s climate or the “true enforced values†(Robbins, 531). When the team believes in these values and enforces them new hires will strive for these clear values or quickly discover the goals or values do not match their own. The article and textbook express how difficult it is to define cultural organization. However, they both make it a point to emphasize how vital it is for an organization to cultivate one that can change the response of the team. Climates can be so influential that they can change people, their habits and produce different behaviors from individuals who wouldn’t normally respond in that way (531). Ultimately, cultural organizational culture change must be implemented, and it takes evolving and innovation especially as the teams and generations of people change.
https://www.thehrdirector.com/cutural-change-is-in-every-change/
Robbins, Stephen P., and Timothy A. Judge. Organizational Behavior. 17th ed., Pearson, 2015.
ccgallegos
says:Hello, I liked that you shared this article and found that it was relevant to my own experience with previous employment. I think a positive work climate is very important and can determine a lot about the culture of the organization. I had taken a job because I felt a lot of value and common beliefs in the company vision and mission statement. Unfortunately the actual culture was extremely negative and it was interesting to see how things broke down over the course of my year working for this company. As we have worked through the chapters in this class it is so eye opening to break down that year and analyse it. Now when I interview for jobs my awareness has led me to ask different questions!
wmputman
says:I feel that this article fit the topic of this module very well as the main topic was helping employees deal with organizational change and working with them. This article focused mainly on one topic of organizational change, which was being careful to explain to an employee why the change was happening and not simply telling them that it is happening. It is more about the why and how then it is about the actual fact of it changing. According to the article, studies have found that the leading factor in a transformation’s success is continuous communication. Transformation of an organization’s environment is not something that can be discussed once and be over with, as is described in the video included in the module. The article also headlines some major communication points, a couple of which include being clear and consistent in your communicating, and also that you’re not always going to have an answer to a question so don’t try to force one just work with the employee. Overall, I think that these findings would help greatly with organizational change as communicating would without a doubt be a major key.
Article: https://hbr.org/2018/10/dont-just-tell-employees-organizational-changes-are-coming-explain-why
mawetherington
says:That is exactly how I feel. In the past when changes in the culture were implemented, it made all the difference knowing why changes were made and how we as workers can help through the transition. If executives make changes that feel unproductive, it can lead workers to feel like they may have caused these “unnecessary changes” therefore there is something wrong with them, even if this is not the case. Especially since culture is evolving, I agree that it cannot be an open and closed discussion. It must be addressed especially as there are major shifts in the industry of the organization (for example: tech or journalism) or even if there is a fluctuation of new hires/ replacement of former colleagues’ positions. I enjoyed your observations from the article they brought up a lot of valid points.
Shayne Jones
says:I appreciate your post; open-honest communication about change is a valid approach to changes in an organization. I think change is the hardest thing to introduce to people. It may be in the organization’s best interest, but people do not like change, for the most part. When new leaders come to an organization they are often looked at with suspicion from the employees.
rsrudoy
says:hi there! I really enjoyed reading the article you provided. There are a lot of points that make sense. I especially agree with there being continuous communication. An organization obviously has many individuals and things can be miscommunicated very quickly. This leads to unhappiness & many misunderstandings. Most people don’t like change which is where the negative attitudes come in place with organizational change. As your post said, it is best to communicate why these changes take place. Maybe a better explanation of the future of the organization can help the transition.
Austyn
says:Some of the biggest culture change comes at the direction of the CEO. The CEO of a company is a leader and provides a direction for the company. Although some executive replacements may not lead to a massive cultural shift, they often can. For example, in October of last year a top executive of Pepsi left the company after 12 years as the top executive. She saw the growing trend in healthier products and pushed the company in that direction, even at the disagreement of shareholders. Looking back, these healthy products now make up for 50% of Pepsi’s revenue!
Here’s my link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/12/18/the-10-biggest-ceo-departures-of-2018/#3efeaf91ef75
arbankston
says:Having a good cause for change definitely helps and the Pepsi case is a good example of that. Thanks for sharing.
tcshelton
says:What is going to help with the cultural change? I chose an article from forbes list and the one thing I believe that will really help cultural change is starting from the top. It is true what they say regarding a successful change starting from the CEO because they are the most listened to and respected individual in the company. People are more willing to handle a change if it originates from a CEO. This is going to help because if they are open to the idea it will broaden ideas of each individual within the company. This proves a big point because very often those at the bottom of the food chain with ideas rarely get heard.
tcshelton
says:Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carstentams/2018/01/26/why-we-need-to-rethink-organizational-change-management/#66e95b7be93c
jbjohnkins
says:M13 — Culture Change
I think one thing that will assist cultural change is the hierarchy, change initiatives start at the top. Make sure the CEO is a fully invested champion who creates a burning platform to create a strong sense of urgency in the company. Set up a top-level team of experts, reporting directly to the CEO, tasked with developing a focused vision and strategy for change that can be communicated for all employees to understand. Then mobilize middle management to drive the change through the organization. To make sure employees grasp their role in implementing the vision and are fully on board. I think there is no such thing as too much communication. McKinsey estimates that 70 % of change programs fail to achieve their goals, in large part due to employee resistance. “There’s a way to do it better — find it.†This was the motto of Thomas Edison, one of the greatest innovators to ever live
https://change.walkme.com/rethink-organizational-change-management/
https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-secret-to-leading-organizational-change-is-empathy
mjteegardin
says:I agree having a top level team to develop a vision and keep employees informed are very important. I believe a major problem that can happen is when employees don’t know what is going on during the change and can lead to resistance. When companies openly communicate to their employees changes it helps create a strong vision that everyone can support.
bfarnes
says:There are hundreds of articles on organizational change out there, and many of them have good advice for a company going through this type of change, but one piece of advice in particular really stuck with me. In an article on The Balance Careers site where they cover what they describe as step three of organizational change process, “Intentionâ€, they have a small section recommending involving a wide variety of people at the outset of the change process to get as wide of upfront buy-in as possible (Heathfield, 2019). This is really interesting to me as it seems to go against how most organizations actually go about this sort of process. In my experience it seems to be more common that a small group or committee of higher up decision makers choose what they want the end result of the change to be, and for most people in the company the first they hear about it is when some new initiative or program is announces that everyone is expected to comply with. By starting with a wider group of people, preferably including people in non-management supervisory roles, who are at least aware of the process and have some opportunity for input, it helps get buy in from the people who will ultimately be responsible for implementing and enforcing aspects of the change.
I’ll admit that in my own role I’m guilty of this; I’ll sometimes unilaterally make changes within the safety program and then just expect everyone to comply. This article really sells the idea that perhaps it would be better to involve a wider variety of stakeholders, especially those employees who will be directly impacted by the changes. Ultimately sometimes a change needs to happen whether employees like it or not, but by giving them more opportunity to be involved in the process it should change it from having the “appearance… of doing something to them–instead, create changes with them†(Heathfield, 2019).
Heathfield, S. M. (2019, February 25). Intention Is the Third Stage in Change Management . Retrieved from The Balance Careers: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/intention-third-step-for-managing-change-1917812
nkdong
says:The article I found specifically targets change through leadership in military organizations. While most will agree that behavioral change in an organization is started from the top, this article also talks about “bottom up” change. In military organizations, the subordinates are subject to all decisions, yet have little to no understanding of why things are done a certain way. Naturally, they will find more efficient ways of accomplishing tasks, but have no power to elicit change. If direct and senior leaders were more open minded to change and listening to subordinates, these organizations can change for the better with little to no monetary investment or effort.
https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/3556.pdf
fagallagherroach
says:I believe we can all learn from each other even in a military community. It is true that it is not always prudent in this environment to share with everyone why we are to do certain tasks, it helps the organization to hear from the people who doing the work. It might sound good and work in the laboratory but it is the people actually in the thick of the game who might have a better solution. Just like the quarterback, you might need to call an audible now and again.
racheledson
says:Albeit there are several wonderful articles about organizational change, I enjoyed the clear and concise article Fionnuala Courtney provided in regards to this concept. It was shocking to learn that “approximately 70 percent of change initiatives fail due to negative employee attitudes and unproductive management behavior” (Courtney 1). After mentioning this terrible statistic, she then began to give types for 6 steps for management to successfully make an organizational change. As mentioned in the textbook, positive organizational culture focuses on building up employees’ strengths and wants the employees to grow (p. 482). To ensure that the change is done in a way that builds the staff up, Courtney mentioned providing a support structure that will help “assist employees to emotionally and practically adjust to the change and to build the proficiency of behaviors and technical skills needed to achieve desired business results” (Courtney 1). By providing support staff to help with the changes, the staff will feel more cared for and feel like they have the support to propel them forward. A lot of business industries will pay for their staff to go to seminars to learn more about their job. From personal experience, these pieces of training makes the staff feel more respected and cared for by the company.
racheledson
says:https://www.pulselearning.com/blog/6-steps-effective-organizational-change-management/
mjteegardin
says:The article I found says that with cultural change they should take things slow and make sure to find a way to encourage employees to get behind the change. When a change happens employees can often feel like they don’t have a voice and in order to get pass that the company needs to ensure that employee’s voices are being heard and appreciated. Another way to encourage employees is to acknowledge the strengths that the company already has. This makes the change seem more like a shared evolution. I believe by following the strategies in the article it would help create an easier transition.
https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks
asreber
says:Socrates’ quote “The un-examined life is not worth living†in “8 Steps To Implementing Successful Organizational Change†in Forbes is what originally drew my attention to this article. It made me ask the question, “What can Socrates say about changing the organizational culture today?†As the author explains, “More than his contemporaries, Socrates strove to pursue learning, growth and meaningful changeâ€. So, any change including change to an organization’s culture can benefit from Socrates’ advice. The author lists eight ways to help with a successful change and included: the importance of employees and communications, as well as utilizing S.M.A.R.T. goals. However, the success of organizational change is dependent on the concept that “Nothing’s worth doing if we do the same things, in the same way, forever.†That leads me to believe that follow up or examining the outcome is key to cultural change. As a new leader, we can all use standard prescriptions for addressing how to implement change, but no two organizations are alike and won’t respond to the same techniques. By examining the outcome, a good leader determines if the results are what was intended and best of all, “what comes next.†This reflection should also include feedback from employees. That’s when your team or organization knows you are serious and willing to not only examine their performance but yours as well.
Craig, William. “8 Steps To Implementing Successful Organizational Change.†Forbes, Forbes
Media LLC, 24 Sept. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamcraig/2019/09/24/8-
steps-to-implementing-successful-organizational-change/#57a707cc6184.
rsrudoy
says:Business grow, technology advances, and people quit. So, it’s realistic to think that an organization can change as well. Unfortunately, the change of culture can impact employees. According to PulseLearning, approx. 70% of change initiatives fail because of employees negative attitudes and unproductive management behavior. PulseLearning provided an article with 6 steps to ensure employees transition smoothly to new management culture 1. Clearly define the change and align it to business goals.
2. Determine impacts and those affected.
3. Develop a communication strategy.
4. Provide effective training.
5. Implement a support structure.
6. Measure the change process.
In my opinion, the most effective way to assist with cultural change is developing a communication strategy. I worked at Wet Seal many years ago and we had a manager there who randomly put her 2 weeks in after working for Wet Seal for over 10 years. Once we got a new manager it was a huge culture change. A lot of employees left because they were unhappy with the new rules or “culture”. I feel as if the real reason everyone was so unhappy was that we never had open communication with the new manager. The employee’s talked to one another about what they were unhappy with but never went to the manager. It was evident that there was a communication error that could have been prevented. Therefore, I believe once an organizational change takes place, all employees should be on the same page with management. Being open with the team will make it easier to make everyone happy.
https://www.pulselearning.com/blog/6-steps-effective-organizational-change-management/
racheledson
says:Hello,
I highly enjoyed reading what you took from Fionnuala Courtney’s article. It is sad but very believable that nearly 70 percent of change initiatives fail. My big take away from the article was the need for a support system. By having staff feel as though their employers are making an effort to provide support, staff would be more appreciative for the support their employers are putting in, which, would help increase the staff’s outlook over the situation. After reading about your experience with cultural change, it shows just how valuable the other five steps are since your example of implementing a communication strategy allows the employers to know how their staff feels and try to make the change more pleasant and less forced.
Great post!
Nathaniel Savel
says:The article I found that discusses organizational change isn’t about a specific organization. It is about an industry as a whole. The fire service has an extremely rich culture that is very dedicated to tradition. This can make it extremely difficult to change as people may not believe there needs to be anything that changes. Recently there have been way too many instances where harassment has occurred in the fire service. These cases of harassment are proof that something needs to change. The article I found followed someone named Ali who had dealt with harassment from her department and she was able to find a department that treated her with respect and she kept with it. It’s really a very moving and motivating story of perseverance. She now speaks on a national level to departments on how to avoid this type of culture that allows harassment. There are four primary tips that she suggests for these organizations that I believe will work exceptionally well.
“1. Leaders, ensure that your firefighters actually know your expectations of them. Don’t assume that they have the same standards as you. Let them know what you (and the full department leadership) consider unacceptable in terms of their words and/or behavior and what the consequences will be in they break those codes of conduct. Then make sure to follow through with those consequences if the need arises.
2. Leaders, make sure that your firefighters know that your door is always open and that you will listen to any issue with an open mind. Additionally, make sure that they know who else they can go to in order to discuss a problem if they don’t feel comfortable going to you.
3. Encourage open and respectful discussions about the things that make us different. Gender, sexual orientation, religion ─ we are a stronger and more united fire service if we can understand that despite our apparent differences, we are much more similar than we might think.
4. Do not be afraid of concluding that some people do not belong in the fire service. There are some people who prove to us consistently that they do not care to adhere to the standards all firefighters should live up to. Do not bend the rules so they can stay. Those that refuse to follow a code of conduct and who make the environment worse for those around them should not have a place on the team†(Quinn, 2019).
Ensuring your members understand your expectations will lead to no confusion about what is okay and what is not. People come from all walks of life and they may not be aware of what is actually not okay. Making them aware allows them to understand this and understand the consequences if they don’t meet expectations. Being approachable allows you as a leader to step in on situations before they get out of control. If your door is open they will come to you before it spins out of control. Having open conversations about what makes us different allows us to respect each other and understand how each other thinks. There really are people who just don’t live up to the standards that we need to set for the fire service. If we bend the rules to allow these people to continue we are continuing to let the culture of the fire service as a whole be damaged.
Source:
https://www.fireengineering.com/2019/02/11/216967/fire-service-harrassment/#gref
nkdong
says:I can definitely see how tradition can get in the way of cultural change. This is a current issue in any service industry. From what I’ve experienced, any high risk and high performance job generally has traditions, especially to the “new guys”, to ensure that they’re able to perform on the job under stress. Unfortunately, this can be detrimental to an organization adapting to current social norms.
jsferlauto
says:Hey Nathaniel, I agree with the importance of an open door policy. Being able to talk to someone who has likely had similar, or even the same experiences can help an employee who is struggling with any kind of workplace issue. We can also see many examples of cultural change coming down from the top, so clear expectations are very necessary for the change to be effective.
kcampbell8
says:I think the most interesting thing I found from reading about cultural change was that most successful transformations are successful through empowerment, not mandated from the top. The article I read gives tips for managing organizational change. Usually people do not like change being inflicted on them, but rather they are more susceptible to change when they have the idea and make that decision for themselves. One helpful tip for inspiring the change you want is starting it in a small group and network the movement. I think this is helpful, because it connects the workers to the cause. When they are connected, they have the desire to carry the change with more responsibility and motivation.
Source: https://hbr.org/2019/08/4-tips-for-managing-organizational-change
asreber
says:Great post! I agree with your idea about empowerment. Empowering employees to help make changes works better than seeing them as a problem to overcome in the change process. I also agree about using employee ideas. If you’re a new leader, the existing employees are going to be able to give incite into any barriers that need to be overcome. If, as your article states, your goal for the change is to “get a leg up” on your competition, you don’t want to leave your employees behind in the process or you won’t be able to sustain the change.
Shayne Jones
says:I found an article on the Veteran Administration website, saying the culture of innovation is essential to the Veteran’s Administration. The report was a VA self-produce glamor piece designed to allow the veterans and the public to feel better about the service provided by the VA (Razak, 2019). The culture in the VA has needed improvement for years, as evidenced by the articles about the VA ‘s poor performance (Westervelt, 2018).
The cultural changes needed at the VA are numerous and deeply entrenched in the day to day operation of the administration. Recently the administrators of the VA were given authority to remove bad players from the system. This approach is not easy for people who have worked at the VA for many years. To change the culture, new strategies, and a rethinking of how the system works should be vital in determining the way forward. The article I found shows that cultural change is difficult because many people do not like change.
Razak, M. (2019, October 21). How the VA’s culture of innovation is changing Veterans’ care. Retrieved from https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/66982/vas-culture-innovation-changing-veterans-care/.
Westervelt, E. (2018, June 21). For VA Whistleblowers, A Culture Of Fear And Retaliation. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/601127245/for-va-whistleblowers-a-culture-of-fear-and-retaliation.
ccgallegos
says:An article in the Washington Post published in 2013 made some relevant suggestions about dealing with change in the workplace as it affects organizational culture. The author made a valid point that often the reception of change may be perceived better if the way change is communicated is well thought. He further states that while often times people are resistant to change, it is not because they themselves don’t want to be changed, it is because they would prefer to participate in the change. The article also states that some people are stuck in the mindset that the way things are is the best way for things to be, and this article recommends eight steps to help transition an organization to change thoughtfully and effectively. These steps include communicating the vision, removing obstacles, rewarding steps as change occurs along the way, and have leadership demonstrate the change and ‘walk the talk’ as the expression goes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/how-to-create-change-in-the-workplace/2013/11/27/9d62f8de-5548-11e3-835d-e7173847c7cc_story.html
Phillip
says:The page that you found presented a useful review of all the steps for lasting changes. I particularly enjoyed the section on rewarding steps along the way. I have heard it phrased in other ways as manageable goals; either way, this plays an integral part in the buying of change. If you can give people goals and excitement you can build the enthusiasm and keep the momentum moving forward. Great post!
ccgallegos
says:Thanks! I agree, it is great to get people motivated and excited to work toward the same goal!
bkanuk
says:According to Robbins, (2017), Organizational Behavior, stated that every organization has a culture that, depending on it’s strength, can have a significant influence on the attitudes and behaviors of the organization’s individuals. (page 526). Furthermore, Robbins, (2017), Organizational Behavior, stated that whether the applicant’s or employee’s attitudes and behavior are compatible with the culture, those attitudes and behaviors can influence who gets a job offer, a promotion, or a favorable job review. (page 531). According to the article, (2015), the balance careers, stated that culture change depends on behavior and the person’s understanding of change. Furthermore, the article, (2015), the balance careers, stated that explaining to the employees what is expected of them is important for effective organizational culture change.
Works Cited:
Robbins, S. (2017). Organizational Behavior. 17th Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
The Balance Careers. (2015). You can Consciously Change your Corporate Culture. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com on 19 Nov.19.
gdgrigals
says:I found an article about “How to change your organizational culture†the author mentions a lot of interesting ideas and tips on how to help to improve the culture change. I like a couple of the ideas she mentioned, for example, don’t rush changing a culture, because most of the time it will take several months or years to flip the culture around. Another tip I take from this article is to align your culture with your brand. I mean that the companies culture must resonate with employees and the market the company is at. The companies need to have their own culture and reputation, especially nowadays where bad customer reviews can affect the companies income.
Source: Folz, Christina. “How To Change Your Organizational Culture.†SHRM, SHRM, 16 Aug. 2019, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/1016/pages/how-to-change-your-organizational-culture.aspx.
Nathaniel Savel
says:I think what you found about not rushing cultural change is a great point. Cultural change will take a lot of time to enact into your organization. If you try and force a cultural change there will likely be resentment towards you and you won’t be successful with it. I have had a situation like this where a manager came in and they immediately tried changing many things. It was obvious that they wanted to change part of the culture. The problem was that they hadn’t been there long enough to see how we operate and there were some things that shouldn’t have changed. This ultimately led to many of my peers and myself resenting this manager and many of them left the organization because of it.
bfarnes
says:The suggestion you found about aligning your culture with your brand is a really interesting one, I could see this being most successful at companies with a strong brand identity and where employees take pride in that brand. I’ve seen this a bit where I work, we have a very well-known brand and people are generally proud to work there, so people will put up with a lot more change and disruption if they feel like it’s somehow tied to our corporate identity. For example, when we started really pushing wellness and fitness in some of our products it became easier to get employees to participate in internal wellness programs. But other changes that aren’t related to our product or brand tend to be heavily resisted, mostly by the people who have been there forever. I would imagine you have to hit that sweet spot of having a brand that employees identify with and are proud of, and being able to somehow tie the change to the brand.
nswartz2
says:In the article I found, one of the top things it recommends to positively impact organizational culture is to attract top talent. Initially one might think that top talent is attracted by a large paycheck, and while this might be true in the short-term, it will not sustain one’s motivation to perform at their best over the long-term. Top talent requires more than money, but a healthy environment where managers empower them to make decisions and problem solve. Another crucial factor to attract top talent is to not only provide support for the individual, but the family of the individual. This can include childcare, healthcare, encouraging employees to pick up children from school, and bringing family around the office.
Link: https://flybluekite.com/strong-culture-positively-impacts-business/
Phillip
says:I think that we also need to look at those people ahead of time. It might be a functional theory that bringing in these top talent people will help, and if you don’t have a culture in place or have buy-in from the rest of the business, it is challenging to institute change.
kcampbell8
says:I like your idea that money can only go so far. Although top talent may be attracted to money, it is not the only reward people will feel completely fulfilled with.
ccgallegos
says:Hello, I found your post interesting because it made me question, what is top talent in my organization and am I top talent? In the nursing world we have so much turnover because of job burnout and the stress of the work, but some nurses do find a really good fit somewhere because they have more to think about than just the pay check and the personal fit but the benefits and family as well. That makes me wonder are the people that are more interested in longevity considered top talent due to the nature of the medical world. Curious!
wmputman
says:I like your post about how money won’t always be the top contributor for bringing in top talent because I feel this is very true. It’s been shown that salary only has an impact up to a certain point, but once it’s at a comfortable living wage its the benefits and other perks that matter more. This made sense to me for those reasons and I feel like that would make sense to bring in top talent in order to improve the organizational culture.
cgmcmakin
says:Cultural innovation demands new behaviors from leaders and employees that often go against corporate cultures which have previously been focused on operational excellence and efficiency. Dr. Reddy’s is a pharmaceutical company operating in over 27 countries. As the company grew and employees diversified, the policies and procedures implemented in order to keep up with the growth ironically slowed the company down. As Dr. Reddy’s team set out to align the culture and galvanize employees, they started with simply defining the purpose of the company and condensing it into a short and to the point slogan, “Good health can’t wait.†Where their strategy became unique was when they decided to withhold the slogan from view of the company where normally it would immediately be released and exposed rapidly to all members of the company. Instead the team started quietly using the slogan to guide their decisions in changing the organization’s culture. Once the management structure was created, they exposed it to employees and asked them to be a part of realizing it. Once that was done, they finally unveiled it publicly. CEO G.V. Prasad said that “After we introduced the idea, one of the scientists told me he developed a product in 15 days and broke every rule there was in the company. He was proudly stating that!â€
The lesson behind this story is that in understanding movements themselves, we learn that they begin with emotion not a call to action. By letting the movement play out before exposing it, the Dr. Reddy’s team allowed the organization to become emotionally invested. This allowed them to control the movement and make sure that it was effective and universally desirable before fully implementing it. It also allows the organization to fully understand it from the CEO to lower level employees which creates a unified front once the movement officially becomes part of the company. Understanding how movements are created is essential when undergoing an organizational culture change.
Soule, B. W. S. A. (2017, November 16). Changing Company Culture Requires a Movement, Not a Mandate. Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://hbr.org/2017/06/changing-company-culture-requires-a-movement-not-a-mandate.
mbeza
says:An article from the Harvard Business Review mentioned a few ways that a cultural change would stick. One of the strategies mentioned really stuck with, culture must match the business strategy. No matter how efficient or beneficial the strategy may seem, if it goes against the organizational culture norms, then it will fail. Culture will always win. What I found interesting is that many leaders don’t ask themselves, why they want to change the culture. As the article states, business objectives, strategies and culture must match.
Source:
https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks
mreichgott
says:Sigal Barsade and Joseph Frank Bernstein emphasize the importance of creating and managing cultural change for companies switching strategies in their 2014 article, “Five Steps for Managing Culture Changeâ€. Formalization can speed up the process of change despite a generalized acceptance that organizational culture is too hard to manipulate. While Robbins points out in our text that cultural change happens, and can be reinforced, continuously through each employee, the authors argue that emphasizing staff and stakeholder input during the evolution of an organization creates buy-in and energy for a quicker evolution (Robbins 544). American workers, especially, want to feel part of the process. It also helps employees self-select out of employment, part of keeping a culture alive once changes occur. Barsade and Bernstein believe that organizational culture is not insurmountable for businesses needing to be agile in today’s market when leaders recruit employees to be part of the process. And Robbins agrees that the tools of formalization and culture work as complimentary forces with a goal of shared values eventually taking precedent over a myriad of written rules (Robbins 530).
Barsade, Sigal, and Joseph F Bernstein. “Five Steps for Managing Culture Change.†Wharton Executive Education, University of Pennsylvania, 17 Aug. 2018, executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/thought-leadership/wharton-at-work/2014/09/managing-culture-change/.
Robbins, Stephen P., and Timothy A. Judge. Organizational Behavior. 17th ed., Pearson, 2015.
Sarah Griffen-Lotz
says:It’s true that cultural change is a process where employees like to feel involved. Mandating change from upper management definitely benefits from formalization. Clearly stated goals give employees, stakeholders, and all involved with an organization something to work towards. I also like what you said about recruiting new employees who are aligned with cultural change. It’s important that new members of an organization are willing to help achieve all of its organizational goals, including cultural change.
Thomas
says:I have found this article on shrm.org and the address is: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingorganizationalchange.aspx
This article talks about how to manage the Organizational change and it talks about some key consideration to some planning for major organizational change. In the article it states, “Change management is the systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools and resources to deal with change.†Organizational change is where it is defined and adopting corporate strategies, structures, operational methods, and technologies to handle external changes within a business environment. When thinking about organizational change, it is something that would affect the business and change it or it could go to where the business is adjusting to the change in culture as well.
In the article it talk about some common problems when it comes to global organizational change. Some of those common problems would be: Lack of a partnership approach, Misreading similarities and differences in markets, and not enough accountability. For any business it is natural to consider customers and how large it is from the home market so the business could plan for those change efforts. However, it is easy for those voices of customers to be drowned out by the needs of employees and clients from distant markets. Misreading could when dealing with multinational organizations and other competition that may be doing something similar like your business.
What I believe would assist with Organizational change would be leading by example, keeping in mind that few organizational changes occur in isolation, remembering professionals’ responsibilities never ceases, and realizing that most changes require fresh, or refreshed, talents. Leading by example is a great way for any major change and doing what other leaders and managers or any higher up ask during a major change initiatives. Remembering one’s responsibilities would continue to serve employees while contending the discomfort, confusion, and demands of the department-specific changes that was created. While the realizing the changes would require fresh or refreshed talents, it would lead to people who manage a group to hire or fire employees. However they would need to retain, acquire, or develop the talents for the business.
Managing organizational change- https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingorganizationalchange.aspx
Jennifer Griffen
says:In his video Culture, John Maxwell believes that when we change ourselves, we change the culture of an organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcIZImGzbTo. He goes on to say that every company has a culture since the concept of culture is based on the behavior of individuals and the steps to get there are intentional. When the culture isn’t as strong as desired, then changes are in order. Maxwell states that when we look at our company, it mirrors our own values and beliefs. He suggests to us to focus on where we can do better and make that a value because we hold our values dear and we will nurture it. With the conscious intention of making a weakness a value, we can then grow and change who we are. In changing ourselves for the better as managers, we model the ethical behavioral traits that are desired for an organization which creates the desired culture change. If we look at ourselves and decide to ignore weaknesses instead of using them as a learning opportunity, we deny our personal and professional growth by remaining stagnant. By opening our minds and improving ourselves, we can make the changes necessary for a strong and healthy organization. “The culture can never be any better than the behavior of its leaders†(Maxwell).
mreichgott
says:Jennifer – This video really sums up the most important parts of building a strong culture: if you don’t know what it is then it’s not what you want it to be. And highlighting a weakness as a point of emphasis is really a trait all of us should strive for: accountability. It offers opportunities for growth and training for a more positive culture, and helps with formulation of teams. Very insightful!
Sarah Griffen-Lotz
says:I found this article from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2019/08/4-tips-for-managing-organizational-change
Out of the four tips mentioned, the most important part seems to be identifying a keystone change. The author states that in order to create cultural change, a manager needs to identify a single problem with the old culture and change it. This problem can be a commonly expressed issue that employees have, such as feeling as if they aren’t engaged enough. If the scope of this change initiative is too wide, it is doomed to fail. Additional root problems can surface in an unclear environment. Keeping goals focused and achievable, while framing them as a “vision for tomorrow†(4 Tips for Organizational Change), is the best way to implement a cultural change. One by one, problems can be fixed, but it requires patience and a methodical approach.
mreichgott
says:Sarah –
I agree with you and the author that smaller, achievable goals are the best way to gain support and build a foundation for the bigger changes. When a small team is making headway, they can be recruited as supporters for the culture change, working for the leadership within the staff. It can also be framed as a new perspective from new leadership instead of a blanket statement that everything must change, causing more push back. Too often stakeholders, like customers and investors, want to see radical results early in leadership change to the detriment of long-term stability and growth.
cjdarling
says:I like the article you chose, very informative! The suggestion regarding picking a single problem with the old culture of the company and fix it. By the new manager fixing a problem that all employees are aware of that will make the employees feel more comfortable and hopefully then will be easier to sway to modify their way of doing things at work.
Jennifer Griffen
says:It’s a good idea to take a conscious methodical approach in making meaningful changes. I’ve seen companies make a lot of changes within a short time period and they failed because the focus was too wide. Early in my career at Safeway, there was no customer service policy. I helped them develop a simple plan to get customers to enjoy their shopping experience and make them loyal Safeway shoppers. Unfortunately, they took my simple plan and implemented a ton of ridiculous rules and scripts for the employees which did not work. They went very wide with the changes and most of the employees thought it was stupid. Ultimately, the program was discarded as a failure because they didn’t so it right. Employees are more open to change when changes are made gradually so they are more manageable. People need time to adjust to change and they also need to know why the change is necessary. When employees see that the changes are working well, then they are more likely to be on board with the new program.
cjdarling
says:According to our textbook, Organizational Culture could be defined as referring to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations. A couple examples of what is involved in organizational culture are; innovation and risk taking, team orientation, and attention to detail. As the question states, a new leader or leaders in a workplace can create a stressful atmosphere and many will resent the change as we are all human. A change could be something as small as an adjustment to a process that employees follow or it could be as big as a change to scheduling, job position, or promotions. From my own experience in the work force I can say that I am not very fond of a new manager due to it seeming like everything is undecided and even the manager does not know the answer. This scenario in my opinion would be best answered if looked at from the perspective of a floor of employees who just got a new immediate supervisor as opposed to a new employee starting a new job where the manager is new. When a new manager begins at the company there is most likely going to be rumors spread about how he or she is regarding to discipline and work related topics. Over the first week or so the new supervisor will make their rounds and meet each and every employee to put a face to a name. Employees will have their opinions regarding the supervisor as well as the rumors regarding the supervisor. In a perfect world everyone would get along and no one would have an issue changing a few things for the new manager, however this is not a perfect world and both of theses challenges will occur. The common denominator solution that would help both the new manager/supervisor and the employees under them is to simply be open. As an employee and as the new manager neither should completely have to change everything about themselves at work and what they do, however both should have the ability to adjust things to obtain the status quo in the workplace.
Citations:
1) Berman, E. (2014, May 13). How to Survive a Major Management Change. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-survive-a-major-management-change.
2) Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational behavior. Boston: Pearson.
nahong
says:I completely agree with you, introducing a new manager to an environment can be very stressful and cause tension in the workplace. There is a large group of people who do not like change, especially when it works just fine the way it is already operating. I do believe that when a manager is open and willing to not only listen but discuss issues that employees are having understanding the changes would be very beneficial for the organization as a whole. When employees feel valued and that there opinion matters they may be more open minded to the changes that are occurring.
bkanuk
says:I agree in your opinion that organizational culture could be defined as referring to a system of different meanings held by the individuals that distinguishes the organization from other organizations. According to Robbins, (2017), Organizational Behavior, stated that culture is important for an organization which is supported by rules and regulations which could be effective in their organization. (page 531).
Works Cited:
Robbins, S. (2017). Organizational Behavior, 17th Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
nahong
says:In the article I read it described three steps to assist the change of the current culture of a company. These threes steps include that you need to understand the companies current culture, decide where the organization wants to go and what vision does the company have in the future, and finally the company needs to decide to change their behavior. I believe all of these are important for changing the culture of an organization, however I do believe that deciding where the organization wants to go is the most important. Knowing the direction in which you are wanting the organization to go will help determine what steps need to be done, and how to achieve those goals. Especially if a company is on the verge of bankruptcy or losing a large profit of there daily intake, a culture change is necessary to hopefully save the organization.
With that being said I do believe that hardest part will be when the organization decides to change there behavior. When the employees are so used to doing there job a specific way it will definitely take some time and a lot of work to break old habits. When someone is so set in routine, it is hard to change what they have been doing for many years on a daily basis. With these three steps I believe they will help in assisting the total outcome of changing the culture of the organization.
Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-change-your-culture-1918810
mbeza
says:It is very similar to an article I read. It stated that in order for a change to occur that three things had to be in sync, the culture, business objective and strategy. To change one then a change must occur in the other two. I think that the culture has a life of its own. It will develop into its own dependent on the objectives and strategies of the business.
cjdarling
says:I agree that one of the most important things for a new manager or supervisor to understand is that their is already a company culture, “traditions”, and expectations from and for the employees that have already been at the company for a period of time. As the question states and research shows, we are human and people are always going to feel less than enthused regarding forced change.
Phillip
says:One of the most significant aspects of change that I have noticed, and this article does a great job of pointing out, is the need to have buy-in from everyone in the organization. As an organization desires to execute a cultural shift, engagement with every member of the organization is imperative. As the article that I found states, “one of the first lessons … learned is that everyone was involved in culture, including me.†Since culture is built on the actions and attitude of everyone who participates in it, the whole company must actively work together to change it.”
The article brought up the perfect point that when an organization is beginning to start focusing on culture, it is the people at the bottom of the organization that tends to be the most receptive and resistance tends to manifest among the ranks of the middle managers. Managers’ activities often drive the beliefs of the personnel they lead. The article states that “Once the managers buy into the culture you are trying to shape, the speed of progress usually grows exponentially due to positive peer-to-peer momentum.â€
A great addition to this sentiment that the article added was the concept that it takes great leaders to change the culture, and great leaders exemplify patience and compassion to earn the buy-in and backing of every person in the organization. To ensure lasting cultural change comes to fruition, companywide alignment is a must.
3 Top Executives Spill Their Secrets on How to …. https://www.inc.com/partners-in-leadership/these-3-executives-successfully-guided-companywide-culture-shifts-heres-how.html