Changing Company Culture: Quick vs. Long-Term Transformation

The other day, I found myself in an interesting discussion about how to change a company’s culture. A friend of mine was exploring going to a different company than where she was. According to the board of directors, the company she was looking at had significant cultural issues. She didn’t know any specifics about the culture, but it didn’t stop us from having the discussion.

I believe culture grows from the people and their behaviors over time. It can not be mandated to be a certain way; it is organic in its development and changes slowly over time without radical changes to those living in that culture.

There are two ways to change a culture, one quick and the other over time, with a lot of investment. The fastest way is to replace the people or at least a few. This is not my preferred method, but it could be necessary if the culture is highly toxic. My friend had access to an employee survey of the company, and at first blush, it showed that the supervisors were well-liked by the employees, and there was a fracture in the trust relationship between management and them. As we discussed what that meant for that culture, we both realized this could be good or bad. If the supervisors lacked clarity on the direction that leadership was headed, aligning the groups would be a matter.

Now, I look to play the long game, changing culture over time. This is done by modeling the expected culture through showing up, communicating, and quietly checking people who are “misbehaving.” Culture will drift if there isn’t a strong understanding of what is expected and where the organization is going. Leaders who hold the leadership title need to be present with the employees and always be engaged. The leaders who don’t have a title, those who are looked up to by others, also need to be involved in leadership so that they, too, understand the organization’s direction.

Whether the effort to change culture through changing the people or by modeling a different culture, it takes time.

By the way, my friend did go to the other company. She is up to the task of transforming her new company’s culture to one that is aligned with the mission. It will take a couple of years for it to be done, but it will be; she is that type of leader.