Inconvenient Truth Revealed: Can You Really Force Culture Change in Your Organization?
Culture change within an organisation can be a challenging task, as it requires a shift in everyone’s collective assumptions and beliefs. The question of whether culture change can be forced is a contentious one, as there are both merits and drawbacks to both “deep” and “shallow” change approaches.
Deep change refers to a fundamental shift in the core assumptions and beliefs of an organisation, and it is often seen as the most effective way to bring about lasting culture change. This type of change requires a comprehensive and committed approach, and it typically involves a wide range of activities such as training and development programs, employee engagement initiatives, and ongoing dialogue. The benefits of deep change include the creation of a more aligned and cohesive organisation, as well as a greater sense of purpose and direction among employees.
On the other hand, shallow change refers to a more superficial change that focuses on changing the surface-level behaviours and practices of employees, rather than their underlying assumptions and beliefs.
This approach is often seen as less effective, as it does not address the root causes of culture issues and can result in a lack of buy-in from employees.
The benefits of shallow change, however, include less contention and angst.
In order to achieve lasting culture change, a combination of deep and shallow change approaches may be needed. For example, a deep change approach can be used to address the underlying shared assumptions and beliefs of the organisation, while a shallow change approach can be used to implement new behaviours, policies and practices.
An ongoing review and concomitant continuous change of culture are also important in ensuring the success of culture change. This includes regularly assessing the culture of the organisation and identifying areas that need improvement, as well as implementing a continuous improvement process to address these issues. Additionally, it is important to involve people in the culture change process, as their buy-in and engagement are crucial to the success of the initiative.
In conclusion, culture change can be a complex and challenging task, and it requires a comprehensive and well-planned approach. While deep change may be the most effective way to bring about lasting culture change, a combination of deep and shallow change approaches may be needed. Additionally, an ongoing review and concomitant continuous change of culture are important in ensuring the success of culture change.
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