So far in this series, we have explored the importance of creating a mission statement (which provides the organization with a clear meaning and purpose), developing a vision statement (which provides personnel direction in the form of a mental picture of what the organization wants to achieve at some point in the future) and identifying the organizations’ core values (the principles, beliefs and philosophy by which the organization will operate).
We also pointed out that the vision, mission and core value statements need to be more than something just hanging on the walls of the office, printed in the organization’s literature, and talked about in new employee orientation. All three must be implanted in the hearts of the organization’s employees and the decisions being made must be made on the basis of whether the decision is consistent with the organization’s values, will help the organization accomplish its mission and enable it to achieve its vision.
With the vision, mission and core values as the foundation upon which the new culture will be built, the administrator needs to understand that changing an organization’s culture occurs in three ways:Hiring and keeping team members who buy-in to the organization’s mission and vision and share the organization’s core values. In selecting employees, administrators must focus on doing more than screening for skills, knowledge and abilities required to do the job. They must also screen for organizational fit. Employees who share the same values, and buy-in to the organization’s vision and mission and who feel valued as employees will help shape the organization’s culture by serving as examples to other employees.
- Hiring and keeping team members who buy-in to the organization’s mission and vision and share the organization’s core values.
In selecting employees, administrators must focus on doing more than screening for skills, knowledge and abilities required to do the job. They must also screen for organizational fit.
Employees who share the same values, and buy-in to the organization’s vision and mission and who feel valued as employees will help shape the organization’s culture by serving as examples to other employees.
2. Indoctrinating and socializing individuals to the new way of thinking and feeling that supports the organization’s vision, mission and core values.
3. The behavior of the organization’s leadership team being a model which encourages employees to identify with them, thereby causing them to internalize the beliefs, values and assumptions that are consistent with the organization’s desired culture.
In changing an organization’s culture, the “how to get there” should include the following:
Defining the role of senior management in leading the culture change,
- Identifying obstacles and sources of resistance and developing strategies for getting around them, and
- Developing an implementation plan with targets of interventions, time lines, milestones and accountabilities.
Almost without exception, one of the findings in nearly every organizational needs assessment our company conducts, is a need to improve communication within the organization. To successfully change an organization’s culture, it is imperative that the organization’s executive clearly define expectations of the senior management in leading the change and what the characteristics of the new culture will be.
Once it is clear what the new culture is to be, there should be an assessment of the organization’s current culture to determine what changes must occur to bring the new culture to fruition. This should include the identification of obstacles and sources of resistance and the development of strategies for getting around them mentioned above.
Once where the organization is going (the vision), the purpose for which the organization exists (the mission), and the core values by which the organization is going operate have been effectively communicated and there has been an assessment of what the organization’s culture is in relation to the culture being developed, it is time to execute the implementation plan containing the targets of interventions, time lines, milestones and accountabilities.
In establishing the culture, the leader must convey:
- Well-articulated expectations of high performance for each and every member of the organization and the belief that everyone, including the leader will be evaluated against those expectations on the basis of performance;
- an understanding that communication is a two-way process in which leaders listen, hunger for feedback and new ideas, and are driven by a need to compel and to influence, not to command and control;
- an appreciation of the principle that well-informed team members are the most motivated and strongest achievers.
- A willingness to communicate with teams and to follow through; and
- confidence and trust in employees and a desire to give opportunities to any individuals who are eager to accept the accountability that necessarily goes with responsibility.