CHANGING AN ORGANIZATION'S WORK CULTURE
by Wayne Strider 
 


The deterioration of trust, respect, communication, and
teamwork is making an organization’s work culture 
unhealthy and ineffective.  People somehow manage 
to deliver products or services to their customers, but 
the cost is high in terms of rework, stress, and broken 
relationships.  Such a work culture does not adapt well 
to changes in the organization’s business context 
putting its long term survival at risk.  People are resigned 
to their work culture being unhealthy and ineffective—they 
claim that every attempt to restore health and effectiveness 
has failed.  In a sense they have given up.  Do you know 
any organizations like this?  

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE: Restoring a work culture to health 
and effectiveness can be done.  It requires that people 
learn new ways of communicating with and supporting each 
other that engender respect, trust, and teamwork.  Changing 
behavior can be difficult work and without sufficient 
commitment, energy, and support people often give up and 
go back to the status quo.  

Help from outside the organization is usually required to 
provide the focus, education, training, coaching, and support 
necessary to change a work culture.  Such an approach should 
tap the latent energy and commitment within the organization’s 
individuals and provide a toolset and guidance to channel it 
toward positive change.  You’ll want to make sure the consultants 
helping you are experienced in organization assessment and 
designing custom cultural change programs.  Check references 
carefully.

Latent energy and commitment can be determined by 
observing three things:
1. Level of dissatisfaction with the current work culture at all 
levels and across organizational units.

2. The extents to which executives are willing accept 
responsibility for their contributions to the problems and try to 
change their own behaviors.

3. The number of people throughout the organization who 
seem willing to try something different even though they 
may not know what to try.

Ideally help from outside the organization involves both 
assessment and a cultural change program.  

ASSESSMENT: The purpose of assessment is to make explicit 
the gap between the current work culture and the work culture 
to which the organization aspires.  During assessment individuals 
and groups are interviewed, organizational documents are read 
such as employee surveys and 360° feedback forms, interview 
data are analyzed, findings and recommendations are developed, 
and a written report is delivered in person.  Besides making the 
culture gap explicit assessment helps determine the level of energy 
and commitment for change.  If it is determined that there is 
sufficient energy and commitment to make the necessary behavior 
changes, then the next step is to develop a proposal for a cultural 
change program.

CULTURAL CHANGE PROGRAM: We believe a cultural change 
program based on assessment results can begin to show positive 
results after a period of 12 months with 3 to 4 days intensive 
contact each month.  A program that utilizes lecture, demonstration, 
individual and small group exercises, simulations, and coaching 
can provide a common language and toolset and accommodate 
individual learning styles.  The desired behavioral norms can be 
taught and reinforced by working one-on-one with individuals, in 
small groups, and in large groups at every level and across 
organizational units.  Experienced consultants continually look for 
opportunities to facilitate real-time conflict resolution between 
individuals and among groups.  

We believe that learning is enhanced when training and facilitation 
is done in the context of the client’s real work.  We call that blended 
work and training.  Creating enough safety for individuals to examine 
and change their own behavior is always a priority.  Email and 
telephone support between onsite visits provides additional outlets 
for issues to surface and opportunities for coaching.

We believe a gradual shift from teaching to facilitating issue 
exploration and resolution provides opportunities for participants to 
take personal responsibility for examining their own behaviors.  
The shift can occur roughly in the following progression:
- Gain participants’ trust while teaching concepts, models, and tools.
- Privately support and coach an individual to help him or her deal with 
another individual.
- Facilitate real time issue exploration and resolution between two 
individuals face to face.
- Facilitate real time issue exploration and resolution between a manager 
and his or her group face to face.
- Facilitate real time issue exploration and resolution between two 
groups face to face.

WHAT TO EXPECT:  By the end of the 12th month, the organization can 
expect to see noticeable behavior changes in some individuals.  It can 
expect to have acquired a common language and toolset, facilitated practice 
with the tools, and a roadmap to follow going forward.  Don’t expect the 
work culture to be completely changed.  However, the organization can 
expect to feel prepared to continue closing the gap between the current 
work culture and the work culture to which it aspires after consultants depart.

If you would like to talk with someone about your work culture please 
contact us at info@striderandcline.com or call 816 746 8100.


Strider & Cline, Inc. Wisdom Box Newsletter Vol. 2005, No. 1