The core components that create a successful change initiative are:
- Defining the current culture with precision.
- Identifying, and committing to, destroying the key components that can inhibit corporate performance.
- Committing to develop 'cultural drivers or enablers' to shape the culture
- Ensuring that the future Vision is both stretching and imaginative and, at the same time, tangible.
- Aligning Global Vision with behaviour and KPI's, reflected in the Corporate or Business Planning Process.
- Regularly reviewed in concrete terms and responsibilities grounded throughout the organisation.
- Sustained by a transfusion of energy, enthusiasm and behaviours rather than the annual 'quick fix injection'.
- Focused entirely on closing the gap between 'current' culture and 'desired' culture.
Cultures have to be Designed and Installed
Corporate cultures often exist by default or accident rather than by design. We believe that we have to focus attention upon the 'cultural drivers' that will yield the required results. All the time we look at what causes performance to happen. We want to differentiate those activities and behaviours that result in superior performance and tangible added value, from those that do not. Our approach goes well beyond the generalised EFQM model where 'assumptions' are made about the interaction between the core variables.
Vision and Values
The direction and Vision for a business has to be spelt out in precise terms. Without focus there is difficulty measuring progress - if it cannot be measured it cannot be managed.
The Values that drive the business also need to be articulated in precise terms. More important is how these 'values' are translated into behaviours at all levels. There is little point a business articulating their values yet failing to specify how these can be measured in terms of actual behaviour at all levels, within teams and interacting with the customer.
Vision to KPI's
We have articulated a model from Vision that translates into Key Performance Measures/Indicators. This means we have the precise route or road map and the Diagnostics to help organisations develop a powerful model and implementation plan to achieve the Vision to shape KPI's.
The Methodology
This requires a commitment from the senior players of a business to complete the following activities within a very short time span. There is little point diagnosing what is wrong and then prevaricating about remedying the situation.
The Cultural Diagnostic Process (CDP) requires:
- 1:1 Interviews with key players to assess core issues for resolution. This requires the commitment of the top team and their direct reports.
- The compilation of the Cultural Diagnostic Process that is administered to all senior managers, then analysed and presented to the 'Top Team'.
- The major Cultural "Enabling and Inhibiting" components are clearly differentiated and outlined with clarity and precision.
- These are then explored in term of both the positive business opportunities, and the 'areas most at risk' to the business. Several "what if" business scenarios are explored in terms of whether or not the organisation commits to change.
- The top team work together in a series of short Workshops to develop an rigorous Implementation Plans. The benefits of this approach is that the top team then has a tangible review of the business and are then in a very strong position to identify the actions required to close the gap between the 'current' and the 'desired' culture.
Benefits
- The top team have a defined and measured evaluation of the current business culture.
- The process helps develop a tangible direction of where the company needs to be in the future and the strategies geared to bridge any gaps between "current" and "desired".
- This process enables a new business culture to be designed with precision, installed and sustained.
- The CDP is tailored to the organisation.
- High speed implementation of change - we can quickly move from top team commitment to data collection and action in a very short time period.
- Cultural change can at last be measured in business terms.
- We can identify what cultural drivers cause business results.
- We can isolate specific behaviours that lead to improved performance.
- The "process" is robust, rigorous, structured, tangible and easily applied.
- Internal staff can quickly take responsibility for the process, reducing dependency on major input from external agencies.
- The process from Vision to KPI's is a firm and solid foundation towards building a scorecard approach between internal processes causing business results in terms of profitability and customer retention and acquisition.
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