Changing culture of a team? A department? A company?
Just imagine: as a manager you onboard a team that has culture totally different from what you are used to. And even more: you are confident that their culture is bad for business and you can prove it. Challenging, isn’t it?
And now imagine a greater challenge: your company acquires another company with its own history, traditions, corporate folklore and of course corporate culture. That of course does not match yours. And of course, at a glance you are confident that their culture is bad for business.
What you gonna do?
You may want to smash the “wrong” thing and replace it by the “right” one immediately but is it a right move? Will the benefit exceed the damage? And after all, if you tell people to stop thinking and see things one way and start doing the same in another one it will simply not work.
So what you gonna do?
Well, sticking with ‘The winner takes it all’ motto on your banner you may keep thinking that you are right and they are wrong. But are you sure that your culture will be good for business in their case? Especially if they are doing not exactly the same business and/or they do it in another country with local legislation and labor market specifics.
Again, what you gonna do?
Let’s start with some questions.
1. Explore the landscape
a. How strongly is their corporate culture affected by country/market specifics?
b. Do all companies in the same country/market have the same culture?
c. Are the companies that have different culture that looks better to you (if the are any of course) successful in what they are doing?
2. Now when you have a better view on the environment try to understand
a. If you implement your culture ‘as is’ in that country/market, will it be still efficient and successful?
b. What elements of their culture does make sense to keep or maybe even borrow?
c. What key elements of your culture will be non-harmful, efficient and easy to implement?
d. And finally: what new state will be acceptable for you, business wise?
3. You have a target picture in your mind now
a. What do you need to have to start moving in that direction?
b. What challenges will you need to overcome?
c. How much space to maneuver do you have?
d. How much time do you have?
And now when you got your own answers to those questions does the challenge look more doable?
