Creating lasting change in an organization's culture requires a deep and lasting commitment from both the top and bottom of the organization. Senior leaders must be visible and vocal in describing the desired objective, and they must use their influence to inspire and motivate people across the company. Most importantly, they must lead by example by demonstrating the desired behavioral changes in their own interactions in the workplace. Integrating your company's mission and values into every aspect of the business is essential for successful culture change. Developing a shared language around cultural ideals and using it in conversations about performance will help emphasize the link between the specific values of the company and the key behaviors that you want to promote.
Transparency and frequent communication with staff is also key when dealing with cultural change. Recognizing successes and achievements that illustrate the desired culture will go a long way to achieving acceptance of your staff. In fact, 92% of workers agree that when they are recognized for a specific action, they are more likely to do it again in the future and 90% say that when they receive recognition it motivates them to work harder. However, research by change management firm McKinsey & Company shows that 70% of programs created to implement cultural change in organizations do not achieve their objectives. This lack of participation in the process contributes to the failure of many attempts to create sustainable cultural change in organizations.
