In early October, I had the chance to visit Cape Cod, MA. While walking the beach, I noticed a number of rocks in the sand at the base of the surf. The rocks were of different shapes, sizes, and colors. The one thing that was consistent among the rocks was the smooth nature of their surface. These rocks reminded me of a motivational poster that I have hanging in my home office. The poster reads,"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins... not through strength but through persistence." Although the rocks are extremely hard and easily cut through the surf, the persistent and gently pressure of the surf has worn through the rough exterior and smoothed the surface. The smoothing of the rocks' surface through persistent, gentle pressure over time is analogous to the effort required to change the culture of an organization.
The self-sustaining nature of an organization's culture makes it difficult to change. Culture is formed over many years and is reinforced each time a supporting behavior is repeated. Culture often starts out as a reflection of senior leadership behavior, but can also evolve from predominant behavior of staff that is directly or indirectly supported by Management. Culture can be compared to oxygen in the air we breathe. It plays an important role in our ability to do things, but we generally don't think about it. However, change it and it becomes obvious that it exists.
Management needs to determine if the behaviors defined by the organization's culture support the overarching goals they have established. If not, then it is up to Management to change the culture.
As organizational leaders, we should first ask ourselves what behaviors and attitudes are necessary among our team in order to be successful at reaching our goals and fulfilling our Vision? If the current behaviors and attitudes of our team do not reflect those that we deem as necessary, then it is up to us to change the culture to reflect those desired behaviors.
How Do Leaders Go About Changing the Culture?
A change in culture should begin with the most senior members of the organization. They need to effectively communicate the goals of the organization, and have a courageous and authentic conversation with staff about how the current culture will hinder the organization's ability to reach its goals and how the new culture will help. Next, the leaders must model the new behaviors in a very real and authentic manner. Through their own actions and by rewarding the right behaviors among staff, the rough and sharp exterior of the old culture will slowly wear away, leaving the smooth exterior of the new culture.
It is important to remember that the culture won't change overnight. Just like it takes time for the ocean surf to smooth the exterior of the rocks, it can take years to embed a new culture in an organization. Factors such as how effective leaders are at making the case for the new culture, how committed they are to modeling the desired behaviors, and the degree to which employees recognize a sense of authenticity on behalf of Management will all impact how quickly the culture changes.
