Changing your Team Culture – Be real, not fluffy

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve shared with you the three steps you need to follow if you want to change the culture in your team. Last week we looked at the importance of respecting and recognising your team’s history before you start changing things.

This week, I want to help you get clarity about what you want to change and why.

What do you want to change? And why?

• Can you clearly and succinctly explain the need for culture change – and the specific outcomes you are looking for?
• Can the team see for themselves what needs to change but maybe just don’t know where to start?
• Or are they cynical or worried about changing things? Can’t see the point? Tried before and nothing really changed?
• What are the pros and cons of change for everyone? The challenges and opportunities?
• Let people explore these questions and grapple with some of the answers.
• Tap into their aspirations.
• Then co-create the change together. This is NOT a ‘top down initiative’.

How to change your team culture

It’s pretty pointless dreaming up new values or mission statements or ‘top line messaging’ which you email or present to people telling them what needs to change. This is likely to have zero impact and will be seen as lip service or ‘fluffy.’ People won’t buy into it emotionally and nothing will change.

You need to ‘be the change you want to see’. If you don’t role model change yourself, why should anybody else? Actions really do speak louder than words, here.

Don’t try to change everything at once. Instead focus on one - three critical behaviours that, if changed, would make the most positive difference – then, make sure these behaviours translate into practical actions that people can take every day. These should of course be linked to business performance and should be measurable over a period of time. These behaviours should also energise people and make them feel good about what they do. 

Next week – How to get REALLY SPECIFIC on what you want to change.