The Do’s and Don’ts of Leading Cultural Change

We have all seen instances of change in the workplace work extraordinarily well and also very poorly. So how can we help push the scale towards successful change? Here we have outlined with the help of the Predictive Index what the Do’s and Don’ts are when implementing cultural changes in an organization.

The Do’s

• Do communicate, consistently, frequently, and personally to your team. While you may be familiar with the culture you’re trying to implement, your team may not. Make sure you take the time to allow every team member to hop on board.
• Do lead by example. Do as you would want others to do.
• Do hold others accountable for change. If a team member is refusing to be part of the new culture don’t be afraid to call them out in non-embarrassing fashion. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
• Do create a vision for change. Model what the future looks like to others. Emphasize the benefits that will come from the change and why it will make work life better for everyone involved.
• Do involve employees at all levels as quickly as possible. Change takes time. Getting everyone on board allows less confusion during the transition and you never know who will take the longest to adjust.
• Do hire the right people who are excited about the future. If you hire people who are resistant to change, it will be extremely difficult to implement new ideas. Hire those that know that the best way to learn and grow is to embrace change.

The Don’ts

• Don’t wait too long for those who obstruct these goals. If you find someone who is blatantly undermining your goals, you need to get them on board so that the already existent resistance to change doesn’t grow.
• Don’t stray away from convincing other leaders to accept the change. Everyone can be stubborn at times, make sure you detail why this change will result in more successful team output.
• Don’t assume everyone aware of the change is on board with the plan. Again, this goes back to effective communication. If nobody knows what’s going on, how can they be sure they are headed in the right direction?
• Don’t create an “us vs. them” culture. Everyone is part of the same team. Creating a two-sided lose-lose battle is not the answer.
• Don’t go too fast or change too many things. While speed in implantation is nice, it could kill some of the best initiatives if not done correctly.

Change isn’t easy; especially cultural change. People become accustomed to the ways of doing things. It is important that when you decide that it is time for a change, you do it in the right direction by involving the team in the organization.

Have a question about your own project or experiencing resistance to cultural change in the workplace? Reach out, and Ignite will be happy to get you on the right track!