Change the Culture – its simple
So often, people say to me ‘Culture is the way we do things around here.’
I agree.
So what’s so difficult about changing the way we do things around here?
We can change the way we do things around here through leadership, a different strategy, or through changing a business process, or work practices, or tools.
I think you will agree with me that when we introduced the mobile phone as a new business tool, we immediately changed the communications culture.
So changing the culture is simple, isn’t it?
Or maybe Peter Drucker had a deeper insight when he said ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast?’
What is your take on this?
Ron Young
68 entries
17 comments
Ron Young
Ron Young is the founder of Knowledge Associates International, a knowledge management consulting and solutions group based at St Johns Innovation Centre, Cambridge U.K. He is acknowledged as a leading international expert and thought leader in strategic knowledge asset management and innovation.
He specializes in knowledge driven results for organizations. He advised and assisted the UK DTI Innovation Unit in 1999 in the production of the UK Government White Paper ‘UK Competitiveness in the Knowledge Driven Economy’.
He regularly provides keynote presentations and workshops at leading knowledge management & innovation conferences around the world. He has chaired for several years both the British Standards Institute (BSI) Knowledge Management Standards Committee and the European Knowledge Management Standards Committee. He is a visiting lecturer for international business administration and global knowledge economy programs. He runs regular Knowledge Asset Management master classes at King’s College Cambridge University, UK. He is a consultant for the World Bank, Washington, USA, and for the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Brussels.
He is currently developing knowledge management strategies and systems, and advising and assisting major multi-national corporations, international UN agencies, National governments, military, security, and professional institutions around the world. He was a lead consultant for the European Commission 2 Million euro ‘Know-Net’ project.
He is joint author of the books ‘Knowledge Asset Management’ (Springer 2003), ‘Upside Down Management’ (McGraw Hill Europe 1996), Knowledge Management: Facilitators Guide (Asian Productivity Organization, Tokyo, 2009), Knowledge Management: Case Studies for SME’s (APO, Tokyo, 2009), Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques (APO, Tokyo, 2010), Knowledge Management for the Public Sector (APO, Tokyo 2013) and APO Demonstration Projects (APO Tokyo, 2014
Comments (8)
Chad
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Having worked in the military, academia, public and private sectors as well I believe Peter Drucker’s insight was spot on. Organizational, divisional, or team change is no simple task. I believe it is inherent in most humans to be highly resistant to change. Especially those at the top of the pyramid just looking to ride out their tenure. They are simply impediments to progress…
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Ron Young
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Thanks for the feedback Chad
As you say, we are told that humans are highly resistant to change, and
I reluctantly have to agree
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Ramesh Chandran
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With due respect to Peter Drucker’s oft quoted line,”Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In today’s scenario, it’s a bit different. Both can co-exist. Let us briefly examine why and how.
Culture emanates from the Values in an Organisation. It is when Values are given the go by that Culture takes a beating. At that juncture all Strategy is meaningless because, the ends that necessitated it become transient and the lasting flavor that success brings is missing. Culture must evolve with times while retaining adherence to the Values. In this scenario, change will work effectively and benefit the Organisation.
Therefore, Culture change can be successful, if the core Values are not compromised. Changes in this manner enhance the worth of the Organisation and keep it relevant always.
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Ron Young
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Thanks for the feedback Ramesh,
You have certainly hit on something that resonates very deeply with me too…and that is values. I do like your point that culture emanates from values, and that culture and strategy can coexist, provided the values are not compromised.
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David Gurteen
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Technology does not automatically improve conversation, communication or behaviour.
Theodore Zeldin (b. 1933) Historian & Author
I’m in the Zeldin camp 🙂
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Ron Young
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I do agree David, I would argue that technology may provide potential to do things better, but changed behaviour requires a changed mind first.
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Verena
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Changing the culture can be relatively easy, but a key element for me is to involve the people who live the culture today.
The methods you listed will support the change; leadership, a different strategy, or through changing a business process, or work practices, or tools.
But where is the human side, where is the listening to people within the organization. The conversation which will lead to a better understanding of the culture today. And the involvement of the same people to build together a new culture.
Greetings from one human being to another human being 🙂
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Ron Young
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Thanks Verena
I agree. For me, the human side is mindset, values, beliefs and emotions. I would argue that they will always drive the action. And the rest, as you say, supports this mindset.
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