Before you publicly pronounce the words culture change, ask four questions to determine whether it’s the best solution. You may find there’s an easier, more direct, and faster way to achieve your desired end results.
While dining in a local restaurant, our waitress, who is also a first grade teacher, teaches us how to create a great customer service culture in 5 easy steps.
Apple and Facebook make an egg-headed decision to support egg freezing for women in high tech. Eggs, my dear egg heads, are not the problem or the solution.
Many years ago, I consulted to the leadership team of an organization that was making a BIG shift in their business strategy. Company leaders decided to bring an end to their role as the market leader in a particular technology sector. Instead, they were going to start over with a new technology offer in a vastly different market. Why? They saw the future. But there’s something odd about this story. It finishes with an ending that takes the author by surprise.
You have a vision that involves leading culture change. You selected a change sponsor and have identified clear goals for you team. If you think your role ends there, get ready to watch things fizzle. You can delegate some roles and actions, but you absolutely must maintain visibility as the Chief Culture Change Officer and sustain four ongoing commitments to action.
In 1999 Kent Thiry became CEO of DaVita, a provider of kidney dialysis treatments. The company was on the verge of bankruptcy. It had revenues of $1.4 billion, losses of $56 million, and a share price of about $2. By June 7, 2013, after the culture change, share prices grew to $125.50. This magnificent turnaround resulted from changing the culture, and to succeed at that Thury applied 3 principles for leading culture change.
Leading culture change is critical to the success of today’s business executives, and story telling for culture change is a must-have skill. Read more about the role of story telling in leading change.
Dear CEO: What’s your 400 year business plan? You don’t have one? Things would be very different if you did.
Bob Diamond, former CEO Barclays, swats away the questions, as he testifies before a sub-committee of the British Parliament. You can read the subtitles here.
Dear Leader:
As we begin our journey together, I thought it a good idea to let you know what I would most appreciate from you. I hope you do not think it is too bold of me to speak so directly and honestly to you from the start.
We help you master the “most difficult” things.