Leadership to Accelerate Cultural Change

Jacquie StaffordMandev Limited

Agenda

• Why is cultural change so difficult?• What sort of leadership is needed? Some tools

and tips to help you succeed.• Are our systems or structures helping or

hurting?

Definition of Organisational Culture

Core organisational values, beliefs, norms and expected behaviours that define how work is to be accomplished and how employees interact with one another, stakeholders and customers.

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The Change Curve

Based on: Kubler-Ross

Progress

Performance andSelf-Esteem

Shock

Elation

Denial

Anger

Blame

Doubt andSelf-Blame Acceptance

Problem-solving

Confusion

The New Norm

Quick Discussion with the person next to you

Think about any Customer Service Initiatives you are implementing at the moment.

Where are your staff on the Change Curve?

5 minutes.

Implementing Cultural Change

‘The hard stuff’s the easy stuff.The soft stuff’s the hard stuff’

Tom Malone

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Ensuring Effective and Sustainable Cultural Change

P x A = EProcess/Solution Acceptance and

EngagementEffective

Transformation

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Culture Change has two parts—Management & Leadership

Leadership

Management

Need to consider both people & process throughout for the culture change to be

successful

The procedures, tools, and techniques designed to ensure that processes are embedded in the organisationFor example:• SMART goal setting•Performance management•Customer Complaints

Procedure The work to help people accept culture change by creating a vision, aligning people, coaching, motivating and inspiring

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What sort of Leadership is needed to help cultural change? Recognizing

Acknowledging that something has been achieved. Clarifying the

benefits for others.

DemonstratingAssuring that benefits gained are not lost. Encouraging others to make the journey.

CoachingHelping others to achieve under difficult

circumstances. Not letting obstacles prevent progress.

EngagingExplaining the importance of the journey and of not giving up when it starts to get tough.

VisioningHelping others to understand

journey, reason for it, and benefits.

Based on the Evolve Partners “Cliff Face of Change” model

What are we looking for in a Vision that inspires?

• A clear statement about the outcomes of the change

• A view of the future state that is:

– Customer focused

– Easy to understand

– Not just one person’s dream, and

– Behavioural and actionable

Backwards Imaging ExerciseHelp people to think about the future

they are working to create1. Imagine a point in the future when an aspect of your

culture has effectively changed.2. Find words to describe what you would see, hear,

feel as you observe employees working in the new, changed culture.

3. Collate, debate, test on others and reach consensus.

Shared Visions come from collective efforts that reflect individual perspectives

Example: Backwards Imaging• Vision: Welcome Complaints• What will we see, hear and feel that is different

when our culture welcomes complaints?– Staff spending time with customers to genuinely

understand their position– Openess at every level in the business to hear

complaints– Joined-up teamwork across all functions/departments

to service customers– Staff coming up with improvement ideas

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Behavioural Target

Used For:

Developing a Vision that is stated in actionable, behavioural terms

Do more/ Do less

Clarifying what the teamexpects from the new culture in behavioural terms

Vision _________________________

Behaviors

More of __________Less of__________

• •• •• •

Vision

Mindset

Behaviour

Making a Vision Actionable

Two Tools to help Leaders make cultural change practical

Example: Behavioural Target

• Vision – welcome complaints• Mindset

– Open-minded, inquiring– Empathy– Innovative– Empowerment to take decisions– Taking responsibility

Example : Welcome Complaints

More of• Asking for and suggesting

new ideas• ‘I will follow this through’• Listening• Skilful questioning • Learning rather than

blaming

Less of• Working systems (instead of

solving problems)• Avoiding/hiding complaints• Protecting ‘executive time’

from customers• ‘It’s not my fault’

Discussion and Application

• Work in pairs/ trios as appropriate around your table.

• Briefly share your customer service vision, mission or goals.

• Pick one and brainstorm a list of more of/less of behaviours.

• 20 minutes.

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What behaviour gets rewarded? List behaviors (both desired and undesired) that were identified in the More Of - Less Of exercise. Using the following response choices, what would be most likely to happen if you were to do each of the actions?

1 = Action would usually bring reward or approval2 = Action would probably bring neither approval nor disapproval3 = Action would probably bring punishment or disapproval4 = Response to action is unpredictable, ranging from approval to disapproval

What behaviour gets rewarded?For example:

Coming up with and trying out new, untested ideas_______4___

Sharing information with other units and departments___2___

Going along with the boss even when (s)he is wrong______1____

1 = Action would usually bring reward or approval2 = Action would probably bring neither approval nor disapproval3 = Action would probably bring punishment or disapproval4 = Response to action is unpredictable, ranging from approval to

disapproval

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What sort of Leadership is needed to help cultural change? Recognizing

Acknowledging that something has been achieved. Clarifying the

benefits for others.

DemonstratingAssuring that benefits gained are not lost. Encouraging others to make the journey. “

CoachingHelping others to achieve under difficult

circumstances. Not letting obstacles prevent progress.

EngagingExplaining the importance of the journey and of not giving up when it starts to get tough.

VisioningHelping others to understand

journey, reason for it, and benefits.

Based on the Evolve Partners “Cliff Face of Change” model

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Stimulate thinking and team discussion about the degree of attention and commitment leaders are showing

1. Identify 4-5 things you feel strongly about (at home or at work)

2. Check your diary for the last 2-3 months to see what % of your time is spent on those things you say are important to you

Personal Engagement(Time Audit)

Tool for Engagement :Stakeholder Analysis

Names Strongly Against

ModeratelyAgainst

Neutral Moderately Supportive

Strongly Supportive

1. Plot where individuals or groups are with regard to desired change (O = current).

2. Plot where individuals need to be (X = desired) to accomplish desired change – identify gaps between current and desired.

3. Indicate how individuals are linked to each other, draw lines to indicate an influence link using an arrow to indicate who influences whom.

4. Plan action steps for closing gaps.

Stakeholder AnalysisNames Strongly

AgainstModeratelyAgainst

Neutral Moderately Supportive

Strongly Supportive

Peter 0 X

Kay 0 X

John X 0

Susan 0 X

Sources of Resistance• Technical

– Habit – ‘we have always done it this way’– Lack of skill/difficulty in learning new skills e.g. Directive

leader asking for suggestions from team and acting upon them.

• Political– Threats to the status quo– Relationships– Perceived erosion of authority– Self-preservation

• Personal– Afraid of ‘letting go’– Locked into the old mindset

Stakeholder AnalysisName Strongly

AgainstModerate

AgainstNeutral Moderate

SupportStrongSupport

Resistance

Peter O X Personal

Kay O X Technical/Political

John X O

Susan O X Political

Engagement/Influence StrategyStakeholder Desired

NewBehaviours

Issues/Concerns

Identify‘Wins’

What Who By When

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Engagement : Elevator Speech

1. "Here's what our culture change is about…”

2. "Here's why it's important to do…”

3. "Here's what success will look like …

4. "Here's what we need from you…”

Help to spread a unified message(May change by stakeholder)

Discussion and Application

• In pairs• Jot down the key points for an elevator

speech for a customer service initiative in your organisation.

• Share it with your partner – get feedback on its effectiveness

• 15 minutes

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Changing Systems & Structuresto help support cultural change

Why is it important?• When the way we organise, train, develop, reward,

compensate, promote, etc. is changed, we are likely to see behaviour change

• Successful cultural changes often involve realignment of “organizational infrastructure”

Changing systems and structures to help support cultural change

What are we looking for?• Identification of key Systems & Structures

areas that must be addressed to assure long-lasting culture change

• Alignment of Systems & Structures with desired behaviors

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Changing Systems & Structures involves

Staffing Recruiting and promoting talentDevelopment Training, developing and building

competenceMeasures Tracking performanceRewards Recognising and rewarding desired

behaviour – formally and informallyCommunication Building and sustaining momentumOrganisationalDesign Right roles and responsibilitiesIT Systems Using IT technology to help sustain

culture change

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Desired Behaviours

More Of Less Of

Given the Desired State behaviours, which of the current Systems &

Structures will:Help? Hurt? No effect?

Helping Hurting

Analysis of Current Systems & Structures

Example : Welcome Complaints

More of• Asking for and suggesting

new ideas• ‘I will follow this through’• Listening• Skilful questioning • Learning rather than

blaming

Less of• Working systems (instead of

solving problems)• Avoiding/hiding complaints• Protecting ‘executive time’

from customers• ‘It’s not my fault’

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Desired Behaviours

More Of Less Of

Given the Desired State behaviours, which of the current Systems &

Structures will:Help? Hurt? No effect?

Helping Hurting

Analysis of Current Systems & Structures

Development – established curriculum easily adaptedRewards – executive incentives include culture change objectives

OD – size of teams and shift patterns means no time/opportunity to stimulate innovationMeasurement – Customer Service Advisors tracked on time, not quality

Systems & Structures Action Plan

Based on results of ‘Helping/Hurting’ tool decide what action needs to be taken:

Helping/Hurting What Who By when

Staffing

Development

Measures

Rewards

Communication

Org Design

Thank You