Culture & Leadership

Workshop

www.leadershipmatters.com.au

Better managers. Better leaders. For a better society.

Culture and leadershipJerome Parisse, Director Asia Pacific, Walking the Talk

Reputational damage linked to culture

Culture influences 80% of buy/sell decisions

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Not at all Very little Somewhat To a great

extentBuy Sell

Extent to which culture assessment impacts the buy/sell decision

You have recently been appointed CEO of an

architectural firm.

You find a culture of silos with different parts of the

business not talking to each other.

Staff are proud of the technical design of projects but

are not focused on delivering value to clients.

You have identified the need to move to a more

collaborative, customer-centric culture. What

initiatives can you take to develop such a

culture?

Tip: Think behaviours, systems and symbols!

Workshop Scenario

Behaviours CollaborationLeading by example Customer centric Collaborative attitude

Understanding the value of customers – talking to customers about what they want

Appreciation of what the customers are looking for Knowing it is okay to fail

Giving people the opportunity to join the journey Remove the blame system

Being respectful and open to suggestions Open door policies

Take individuals into “new/unnatural habitats”

Support management processes are in place when behaviours are being challenged

Encourage staff to have formal and informal conversations

CEO visibility – kick starting the meetings, acknowledgments of teams and projects

Create opportunities for staff engagement

Systems Collaboration

360° feedback tools – AIM 360, DiSC and Genos Customer feedback processes

Consistent work/training with influential leaders Motivation programs and events

Change the rewards system to focus on customer service Communication channels

Research to support customer service models Review job process, checkpoint reviews

More training on the purpose of their role Recognition and positive reinforcement

Customer centric procedure to be developed by project team

Individual and team rewards – depending on customer satisfaction?

Get away from desk and brainstorm/discuss ideas as a team

Better recognition of achievements to all staff

Symbols Collaboration

More open environment/office layout Be clear on values

Image – how is the company perceived, open and honest and connected to mission

Visible leadership – leaders engaging with team Wellness programs

Newsletters – increase diversity and understanding Integration of customers

Valuing people and their opinions Analysing feedback from customers

Sharing information about projects so everyone has a chance to contribute

Collect actual quotes from customers

Celebration items Uniforms Car parking

Scenario InitiativesBusiness ideas• Seek fresh ideas from different groups of stakeholders• Begin every meeting talking about customers (customer centric)• Leaders should have shared goals rather than their own agendas• Ensure KPI’s have a teamwork/group component • Assess whether the right people are in the right roles• Speak to the customers – ask them what they value from the business the most• Improve communication across the business with whole company meetings• Change the physical office layout – with sales & customer team in the middle• Encourage each of the staff to have values and principles aligned with the company’s• Leaders and staff need to be empowered to ‘live’ and ‘uphold’ shared values• Encourage social events and wellness programs • Consistency of message from leaders and managers in the business

Five Point Assessment1. What is the current culture?2. Change to a strong and compelling vision around customer service3. Ensure buy-in from business leaders and managers4. Accountability – ensure each KPI supports the company vision5. Cross collaboration – provide KPI’s across business units

Scenario Initiatives

Customer Perception• What is the perception of the brand externally? • Ask customers what they think • Would they recommend us?• Measure their happiness index• What is the internal language like when referring to customers?• If staff are talking negatively about their clients out loud then that has a ripple effect

on other employees• Need staff to understand they wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the customers/clients• Are the technicians connected or disconnected from the customer process?• What is their level of engagement?

Training and Responsibilities• Introduce a training program for the leaders, also for any consultants, customer

service team – any employee that needs skill training• Look at the organisation structure – is it appropriate to integrate certain functions

and responsibilities in order to remove the silo effect• Make sure leaders have the right accountability and authority levels

Scenario InitiativesLeadership & Strategy• CEO to call the leadership team together• Needs to lead from the top• Agree on the purpose of the company – it needs to be a purpose that matters and

that externally people will relate to• Start with why? Then move onto what & how• The team need to be collaborative – share news, discuss issues, respond quickly• The team need to understand the future direction and strategy of the company• Communication to all levels of the organisation is vital – needs to be open and honest• Share the vision and what needs to be done• Leaders need to talk to all staff on a regular basis, they need to understand their

people – they need to get out of their office or not have an office!• Leaders need to motivate and inspire• Leaders need to encourage new ideas and innovative thoughts, show humility• Instigate leader “huddle” sessions for 15 minutes each morning – encourage all levels

of managements and team leaders to do this with their peers also• Even if leaders may know the answers, they need to hold back

and let the staff have a voice

Scenario Initiatives

Employee Responses• All employees in the organisation need to understand and live and breathe the values

– leaders need to be seen as role models• How are the values actually being displayed?• If values are not adhered to then this may lead to deeper discussions with some of

the staff• Performance management is a must• Appoint champions for the vision• Conduct employee engagement surveys and show everyone the results with

discussion open and free• If you raise the trust level it will increase the productivity results

Ethical Practices• The company needs to have a social and moral conscious• Help the staff believe in the company and what it stands for• We need the employees to be happy – when they get up in the morning - they are

happy to be going to work when they know they will make a difference• The staff need to help promote the company to the customers, • business partners - think of the BBQ discussion – would staff be • proud to say I work for “X”?

Scenario Initiatives

Business Values

Money is happiness for a short time – like sugar in coffee, it is noticed only in the

short term

We have organisations now seeing applicants focussing their personal values with the

organisations values

Promote more cross department collaboration

Challenge the culture/norm and have culture champions

Evidence based approach: show turnover and attrition

Select an advocate for cultural feedback

Small steps may be best as hard to have a revolution when not everyone is on board

Reinforce values of the organisation at the start of every meeting

Deliver stories based on values at team meetings

Put in systems and processes to encourage communication

How to manage CEO resistance

Set message at beginning that not changing is not an option

Talk to customers about whether things are actually changing or not

Get customers to be on an advisory board so their input can be easily

garnered at the concept stage

Scenario InitiativesMoving to Customer Centricity

Take an ethical position – what is the right thing to do here

If departments not talking – how to break the gridlock

o Meetings to be held?

o Bias towards creativity/architects like to work independently

o Find out what it is they are proud of with their designs – inspire and motivate

each other

Give them a “why” about changing

Perspective – take them out to meet customers, insight through to end result, allow

them to be invested in customer mission/objective

Anonymous workshop participant’s current workplace example:

300 staff members

Disconnected board – very much silo mentality

Managing director doesn’t support a positive culture

Teams have developed their own cultures but hard to be positive when overall culture

is not positive

Managers only focussed on financial results

Answer: Show link between culture and profit

© Walking the Talk, Ltd, 2012

All rights reserved

© Walking the Talk, Ltd, 2012

All rights reserved

© Walking the Talk, Ltd, 2012

All rights reserved

EndThank You

www.aim.com.au

www.leadershipmatters.com.au