Culture Change Strategy

There are many ‘change’ experts out there. The reality is, sadly, most of the claims of major change relate to tactical initiatives such as process or technology change and solid experience of strategic culture change is lacking.

Change can be evolutionary or revolutionary. Evolutionary change within organisations is generally better planned and more carefully implemented. It is normally a longer term strategy and proactive in its approach. Revolutionary change is often (not always) faster, shorter in implementation and reactive, and can be more difficult as it allows less time for people to adjust and reorient.  Organisations often need to employ a mix of both. The major reason one would consider revolutionary change is time. It is more risky and painful to the organisation and is therefore best considered as a strategy to change within well defined boundaries and as part of an overall evolutionary approach.

The major challenge for management is to try and achieve real progress at an acceptable velocity of change in order to minimise collateral damage. We need to be very clear of what needs to be developed via an evolutionary process and what can (and should) be revolutionised. i.e Current organisational change readiness is critical to how we progress in making culture change as the potential for damage to reputation and  reduction in value to stakeholders is heightened. 

This means that management have to be conscious of, and plan for, the current change fitness levels within the enterprise. Unless we pace change to our current fitness level then it is entirely possible to end up with more pain than gain. This does not mean a slow approach but it does mean that the company should establish an accurate measure of the start point before we go too far down the road in implementing change. Utilising the Vitale Change Model as a framework the organisation should be able to proactively build their capability to adapt and change so that they are able to engage a wider resource base for driving change when needed. The aim should be to spend less time implementing change because they spent more time and provided better quality of planning.

A key aspect of this approach is that the organisation improves capability as it progresses so that velocity and sustainability of effort builds. There comes a point when management can shift the focus from making change into one of monitoring, guiding and adjusting. 

The Vitale Change Model

Vitale can work with your business to apply our exclusive Accelerated Evolution Model in developing a real plan that cuts through the often complex and unsatisfying consultant centric processes to deliver something unique to your business needs.

Vitale's Change Model allows the business to plan initiatives that take people through awareness of what and why behaviours are critical to sustainable success. It guides management planning in resetting core HR policies, processes and practices to reinforce the appropriate behaviours and build a culture driven business.

Organisations that understand how to effectively lead and engage culture in this way create the opportunity to become truly world class. World Class companies have satisfied customers, satisfied investors and employees who want to work there.

The model describes a process for Cultural Development. The model illustrates four phases through which an enterprise will pass in the journey to becoming a world-class company. The challenge for managers is to try and accelerate the evolutionary rate to the point where it does not place terminal stress on the organisation and to balance it so that as much as possible the pace is relatively consistent across the company. We can only move as fast as the slowest participants or we run the risk of losing some of what we want to retain.