3 tips for shifting a culture by building successful prototypes
Post date: Saturday March 13, 2010
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Category: Mike's Blog, Super teams
Imagine you have been invited to take over a business. Your brief is to improve the results by changing the company culture. You have several options for making this happen. These include: a) You can urge everybody to ‘change’ and put them through a conventional ‘change programme’; b) You can fire everybody and start again with a blank piece of paper; c) You can create the ‘future culture’ – often by building successful prototypes – and then invite people to choose whether or not they want to join this culture.
Savvy leaders often go for option (c). Why? They understand systems theory. Systems follow the law of homeostasis – they keep returning back to their present state. So don’t try to change the system - create a new system with new rules. Start by building successful prototypes. The new approach can then be implemented across the company. Here are three steps towards adopting this approach.
1) You can build successful prototypes.
Let’s imagine that you want to build a company that delivers exceptional customer service. You want to begin by building prototypes that demonstrate this approach. Here are some steps towards making it happen.
* You can set-up the prototypes to succeed.
Looking around the different departments, rate the chances of success of running such a pilot. Go with the positive energy. Clarify where the chances are at least 8/10 - then choose where you will build the prototypes. Another option is to go for a ‘Green Field’ site: a new site with new people who will adopt a new approach.
* You can appoint the right people, make clear contracts and give them the support they need to succeed.
Get the right people in place – especially good leaders – otherwise you are sunk. Clarify ‘What’ they must deliver by ‘When’. Outline the broad principles of the ‘How’, but they must be given freedom, within parameters, to implement the strategy. Give them the support they need to do the job.
* You can ‘ring fence’ the prototypes in order to help them to succeed.
Why? Sometimes old systems try to stop new ones from succeeding, so provide protection. Companies sometimes give double messages, such as: “We want you to be bright, creative and deliver results in the new world. We also want you to follow the old rules to achieve these results.”
* You can encourage people to get some early wins – but also create an ‘event’ for showcasing the prototypes’ success.
Encourage people to get some early wins to build positive momentum and publicise these across the business. Set a date for a company event in 6 months time where they will present their success stories. Sounds challenging, but people respond to deadlines.
* You can do everything possible to ensure the prototypes are successful.
You can provide an inspiring vision, but it is up to the prototype-builders to do the work. Keep in touch with them, but in a supportive way. Ask: “What do you want from me to help you to be successful?” Then, wherever possible, provide that support. Explain how you want to be kept updated - because you need a reality check - and how they can keep you off their backs! Encourage them to communicate their achievements along the road and also celebrate success. If things go wrong, however, make the tough decisions early, rather than late.
* You can get people to present the lessons from the successful prototypes.
Success provides its own arguments – so publicise the success stories. People can do this through newsletters, articles, internal television, DVD’s or whatever. Then move onto the next stage.
2) You can invite volunteers who want to implement the successful principles in their part of the business.
People are more likely to adopt new behaviour if they see the benefits. Imagine you have backed several prototypes that have delivered exceptional customer service. Arrange a company event – or other communication vehicles - where the prototype-builders present: a) The principles that have proved successful; b) The things we learned and can do better next time. You can then announce the next phase by saying something like:
“The prototypes have shown how we can deliver exceptional customer service. We are looking for volunteers who want to follow these principles in their part of the business. The goal will be to achieve customer satisfaction ratings of at least 98% - and this can be to either your external or internal customers. Get back to me within one week to let me know: a) Whether you want to deliver this ‘What’; b) ‘How’, in broad terms, you aim to deliver it; c) The support you need to do the job. This obviously means a shift in culture - changing the way we do things around here. We can succeed with this new approach, so let me know if you want to be part of making it happen.”
Great leaders communicate a compelling story. They show the benefits and also explain the Dos and Don’ts for reaching the goal. They then give people the chance to opt-in – because they believe in working with volunteers, not victims. You will pursue this path in your own way. Give people the required support and showcase the new success stories. Then move onto the final step.
3) You can make the principles mandatory and guide the organisation to success.
You have backed successful prototypes that embody the future culture. Now it is the time for people to make a decision. So you may give them the following message.
“The prototypes have shown the principles we must follow to be successful. The pluses are that we will improve our services and stay in business. The minuses are that it will be challenging, especially at first. But it is the way to build a successful future. What I am saying to you is also challenging. I am asking you to decide whether or not you want to follow those principles. If so, get back to your manager within the next week and we will agree on how you want to contribute. If we do not hear from you, we will assume you want to move-on. So we will then try to work-out, as far as possible, a ‘win-win’. This sounds tough, but we must follow these principles to achieve success. Let me or your manager know if you want to contribute to the journey.”
Sounds challenging – but frequently there is no other option. People must decide whether or not they want to be part of the future culture. Expect some rocky times, but eventually things will work out. You will have laid the foundations by building the prototypes. Keep people’s eyes on the picture of perfection. Reward the behaviour you want repeated. Be prepared to make tough decisions. Never walk past a quality problem - otherwise you have said it is okay. Maintain the momentum by continuing to publicise success stories. Do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success. If you wish, try tackling this exercise that invites you to translate these principles into action.
Shifting a culture by building successful prototypes
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The specific things I can do to make the principles
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