change

Standard operating procedures
But there are other
aspects of culture.
These are the invisible
rules that also become
like codified standard
operating procedures.
How do organizations
deal with differences
in opinions and
approaches? Is that
tolerated, encouraged
or merely brushed
aside for the
moment, only to be
ignored later?
Is that a desirable end state? That depends on the nature of the
business environment in which the firm has to operate. It is true
that when people follow orders without questioning, the most
routine and repetitive tasks get done in the shortest possible time.
That is pretty much what traditional training systems have done.
They teach people to perform repeatable tasks in the shortest
possible time without hesitation. The more scenarios that can be
visualized ahead of time, the more easily people can be trained to
respond in the optimum manner. These then become the standard
operating procedures of the organization.
But there are other aspects of culture. These are the invisible rules
that also become like codified standard operating procedures. How
should employees with more experience behave when a trainee
questions the decision? How do organizations deal with differences
in opinions and approaches? Is that tolerated, encouraged or merely
brushed aside for the moment, only to be ignored later? We admire
companies that are innovative. Their culture supports contrarian
viewpoints and mavericks. That needs leaders who can manage the
creative tension that these cultures spawn.
Are the leaders modeling the right behaviors?
Leaders define the contours of the organization’s culture. But
every individual employee has to own it. Leaders have to build
evangelists and story tellers who simplify the different elements
of culture and make it easy to relate to. Culture change does not
happen through posters. It happens when people emotionally care
about the organization’s future and believe that the new behaviors
will make the organization succeed. They need to see their own
success as vividly as the organization’s. Finally, the new behaviors
are reinforced when leaders act as role models. If remembering a
new password is hard, trust me changing organization’s culture is
much harder.
Driving organizational culture change needs patience. While
people readily endorse the idea of punishment as a way of building
“discipline”, if that is not happening, it maybe for want of leaders
who can be role-models. People must want to be like the leader
they see. No wonder discipline and disciple both share the same
Latin roots. It means instruction or knowledge. When leaders
create disciples, organizational culture is shaped.
32 | LPS Quarterly