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\nSummary.<\/b> Organizational culture has risen in prominence in recent years. What the culture of an organization or business is like has become an important factor in whether workers choose to take a job \u2013 or stay with an organization. With the pool of workers shrinking, organizations have to compete for talent, and that shines a light on culture.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
While in many ways, culture isn\u2019t well defined or even understood, it permeates the workplace. Everyone who works there is aware of it. But something being difficult to quantify doesn\u2019t mean that it can’t be changed. If you look at what you want to shift your priorities to, then you can implement policies that will shift the culture of an organization.<\/p>\n
Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/p>\n
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Organizational culture is how employees go about doing things in an organization. It ranges from procedures to who tends to get promoted or fired to whether or not there are birthday celebrations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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An organization\u2019s culture is one of the most important factors for talent acquisition. It makes talented people more likely to apply, accept the job, and stay with the organization.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Changing a company\u2019s culture is a multi-step process. It involves assessing your current culture, knowing what you want to prioritize, getting other members of leadership to help with the changes, and waiting to see the end result.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What Is Organizational Culture?<\/h2>\n
Organizational culture<\/a> is nearly synonymous with company culture, but it\u2019s broadened to include other not-for-profit organizations as well as businesses. Therefore, organizational culture is a large part of what defines an organization. It includes an organization\u2019s usual procedures, beliefs, and shared values.<\/p>\n
The culture at an organization has gotten more and more attention in recent years as several high-profile company culture failures have come to light. In addition, with a pandemic and following labor shortage, an organization’s culture can be a genuine selling point when competing for talent.<\/p>\n
Steps to Change Your Organizational Culture<\/h2>\n
An organization\u2019s culture can be a difficult thing to pin down. However, the more desirable the culture, the more desirable the organization is to work for. That means that it can be very much in leadership\u2019s best interest to alter a company culture<\/a> that\u2019s counterproductive, unwelcoming, or stifling.<\/p>\n
While culture can be hard to determine through job interviews<\/a> or other recruitment means, it can greatly aid in talent retention. Once employees become a part of a culture they like, they\u2019re much less willing to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Here are steps to take to begin changing your organizational culture:<\/p>\n
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Look at your current culture.<\/b> While this step may seem unnecessary, it\u2019s important to look at what your current organizational culture is and what\u2019s wrong with it. If you aren’t sure what your current culture actually is, it can be hard to determine where to put your focus in terms of changes.<\/p>\n
Some organizations never made much effort to create a particular culture, so one formed organically. That can have various problems of its own and can be a bit harder to pin down. However, shifting to prioritize a particular aspect of organizational culture will likely have a large effect in that case.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Take a hard look at who\u2019s being hired, promoted, and fired.<\/b> While it may not be immediately obvious, this is where your culture is being reinforced. The people who are hired and promoted<\/a> are those who are good fits with the current culture and promote it.<\/p>\n
While that doesn’t automatically mean that all of them are gung-ho about it, there will be a number who will resist change. Depending on how entrenched the culture is \u2013 and how badly you want to change it \u2013 you may be required to shift some of the people in leadership around.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Determine your desired values.<\/b> This is important. You need to have a goal, a part of the culture that is important to emphasize. Without that, it\u2019ll be difficult to change the culture, and you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to get your leadership team behind shifting to something amorphous.<\/p>\n
Culture is inherently hard to measure. That means that your goal doesn’t need to be too concrete. However, if you want to shift to prioritize diversity<\/a>, for instance, you can push hiring in a particular direction, as well as work to make sure those diverse hires are included in discussions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Make sure your culture aligns with your operations.<\/b> Changing a culture isn\u2019t just about making broad, sweeping statements. You\u2019ll need to align it with the way that your organization operates. Otherwise, it won\u2019t take hold. Making operational or procedural changes will also show your commitment to the change.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Get buy-in from employees.<\/b> As is the case with most large changes, having approval from leadership is most important \u2013 but it helps to have it up and down the line. If your personnel are interested in the culture change and think that you\u2019re serious about it, then they’re much more likely to help in making the shift effective.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also important to make sure that you make what you\u2019re doing clear. It\u2019s a lot easier to get others on board if they understand what you\u2019re doing and why, as well as how you plan to go about it. Big changes can have an impact on people\u2019s livelihoods, which can make them nerve-wracking. Keep people informed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Plan your changes.<\/b> While culture is, in many ways, a squishy concept, changing organizational culture is still a big, sweeping change. That means that planning it out as best you can is your best bet. As culture can become entrenched, it may take several steps to shift the company in a new direction \u2013 especially if your organization is big.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Implement your plan.<\/b> Once you\u2019ve got your plan in place and know who you can rely on to help you push the changes forward, it\u2019s time to implement it. Be sure to do your best to follow the steps you laid out, but at the same time, it\u2019s best not to be afraid of having to make changes if something isn\u2019t working.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Be patient.<\/b> While you should expect to see some results, don\u2019t hurry the process. Shifting an organization\u2019s culture isn\u2019t a simple task, and it can be difficult to measure. Don\u2019t be too hasty to say that what you\u2019re doing isn\u2019t working or that the organizational culture isn\u2019t changing fast enough.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Organizational Culture Change FAQ<\/h2>\n
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How does organizational culture differ from an organization\u2019s mission?<\/b><\/p>\n
The difference is that organizational culture is the way that an organization goes about things, while the mission is the main purpose of the business.<\/b> So, more or less, the organizational culture is the way that an organization goes about achieving its mission.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Are the employees the ones who define an organization\u2019s culture?<\/b><\/p>\n
In many cases, the organizational culture is defined by the employees.<\/b> This is especially the case when the culture isn\u2019t well defined. If there\u2019s a strong leadership<\/a> push towards a certain priority, then that will have an impact on the organization\u2019s culture and operations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Is it a long process to change an organization\u2019s culture?<\/b><\/p>\n
How long it takes to change an organization\u2019s culture is variable.<\/b> That being said, it doesn’t have to be long. If there\u2019s a clear goal for change and a serious implementation, it can be done in a year or so.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Can you limit culture change to a single department?<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s certainly possible to limit organizational change to a part of an organization.<\/b> If the different departments are somewhat isolated, then it may not be necessary to alter the culture of the entire organization<\/a>. In that case, there can be leadership and priority shifts in just that single department.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
References:<\/h2>\n