What is it?
“Change before you have to” – Jack Welch
“Culture is the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterises an organisation, society or a group. It includes creative expressions, community practices and material or built forms.” Our Creative Diversity: The UN World Commission on Culture and Development Report.
All organisations have a culture good or bad and the culture forms the basis of an organisation’s values and behaviours. How it thinks, feels and does things.
An organisation’s culture needs to match the environment in which it exists. That is if it is to support and drive the organisation’s success.
People join organisations because they like what they see and then stay in an organisation because the values match their own. This alignment of environmental needs with personal and organisational values is an indicator of future success, particularly in the modern business world where speed is so vital and where trust is its key catalyst. If congruence is lost, there is a cultural clash and business success suffers as energy and resources are transferred from where they should be focused to try to rectify the internal misalignment.
Why do you need it?
Some people describe culture as the DNA of an organisation. Every organisation has a culture and it defines how the organisation and those within it act and are perceived by others, from the general public to employees. An organisation with a disengaged culture that is not in line with its leadership and strategy will consume most of its energy fighting itself, however, one that has an aligned and positive culture will naturally out perform its competitors. The culture of success will be lead considerately and inform the future strategy of the organisation and it will ensure it is entirely in tune with its environment.
Outside help with cultural change is a key catalyst to overall success in cultural change. Often leaders are too close in to see the requirements and monitor the process effectively. Sampson Armand are able to assist organisations in many ways during transformational change. They can consult with the leadership, collect the evidence required ,design the strategy, communicate the requirement, monitor the change and fix it so it has longevity. They can help and assist wherever an organisation needs them during this difficult and challenging change process.
How we do it
Culture drives organisational behaviour and changing an entrenched culture is probably the toughest task that the organisational leadership can face as they are often inculcated within that culture. Understanding what your culture is and what it needs to be to support the required business transformation necessitates a strategy to be devised and implemented. Sampson Armand are strategic experts who have instigated, assisted and mentored leaders through cultural change. Sampson Armand’s consultants garner information from all levels of the organisation to inform the design. This information is then subjected to detailed analysis which in turn apprises rigorous examination of the relevance of the organisation’s current culture. A detailed report on the existing culture is produced identifying where change is necessary. Our consultants will work with the organisation’s leadership and staff to identify and design the new culture to match the desired business transformation. Once this is complete the process of cultural change begins and Sampson Armand will be there to help you along every step of the way.
How it helps
By fully understanding your existing culture and being clear on what you want the transformed culture to be, you are able to design a culture that fully supports your business needs. The newly designed culture will match the environment in which the organisation sits and will inform future strategy. This reduces the risk of the existing culture sabotaging the intended business transformation process and allows for a quicker and more effective and mentored transformational change in line with the businesses’ strategic objectives.
What do you do next?
You may wish to ask yourself the following questions:
- Does your organisational culture match your brand?
- Do your people understand the values of the organisation?
- Is the culture congruent with the leadership and future strategy?
- Is your culture the right culture for your future business environment?
If you answer no to any of the questions above then please contact one of our cultural experts who will be able to discuss how we may be able to help you get to where you want to go.