Can you change a business culture?
The culture of your company is something that can make a big difference as to whether you are able to reach your goals or not. If your culture isn’t working well for you, then you should think about changing it. The changes you make will depend on how extensive the issues are that you’re facing, however there are some tips that you can use along the way.
Envisage your ideal culture
Unless you know what you’re aiming for, you will never be able to change things in order to get there. This means that you need to know the culture that you are striving to achieve. Write down as much as you can, make presentations and do your research – the more you understand about the ideal culture, the better chance you have of achieving it.
Get the executives on board
Changes are always easier if those at the helm of the company are on your side. For this reason, you should carefully explain your plans with the executives, and tell them the positive reasons for making the change. If they support your changes, they should then be encouraged to change their own behaviour to fit with the new culture.
Train your team
Nothing’s going to change unless everyone understands how – and for this, you need to provide a high level of training to your team. This means that they can get on board with what you envisage for the future, and put steps in place to change their behaviours to fit with what you are planning. By including them in the process, they are much more likely to be willing to help.
Communicate effectively
No matter what kind of culture you are aiming for, one thing that should always be a priority is effective communication. You should have set ways of communicating, including regular updates on project developments. If your communication is reliable and predictable, your team will be much more comfortable.
Arrange your team carefully
The roles that people within your team hold now aren’t always the best roles for the success of the business. You can aid culture change by thinking about the people you have in your team, and considering whether their skills are really being used fully. If not, then some changes here could really help.