How do you engage and empower your employees to participate in and support culture change?

1 Assess the current culture

Before you can design and implement a culture change initiative, you need to understand the current state of the organization's culture. What are the values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that shape how people work and interact? How do they align or conflict with the desired future state? You can use various methods to assess the current culture, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or cultural audits. The goal is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the existing culture, and to involve the key stakeholders in the process.

2 Define the desired culture

Once you have a clear picture of the current culture, you need to define the desired culture that will support the organization's vision, mission, and goals. What are the core values and principles that will guide the culture change? What are the expected outcomes and benefits of the culture change? How will you measure and evaluate the progress and impact of the culture change? You can use various tools to define the desired culture, such as vision statements, value propositions, culture maps, or culture canvases. The goal is to create a shared understanding and commitment to the culture change, and to communicate it clearly and consistently.

3 Identify the gaps and barriers

The next step is to identify the gaps and barriers that prevent the organization from moving from the current to the desired culture. What are the root causes and drivers of the current culture? What are the enablers and inhibitors of the desired culture? How do they affect the different levels and dimensions of the organization, such as strategy, structure, systems, skills, staff, and style? You can use various frameworks to identify the gaps and barriers, such as force field analysis, SWOT analysis, or gap analysis. The goal is to prioritize and address the most critical and urgent issues, and to anticipate and mitigate the potential risks and challenges.

4 Design and implement the culture change interventions

The fourth step is to design and implement the culture change interventions that will bridge the gaps and overcome the barriers. What are the specific actions and activities that will foster and sustain the desired culture? How will you engage and empower the employees to participate in and support the culture change? How will you align and integrate the culture change with the other organizational changes and initiatives? You can use various approaches to design and implement the culture change interventions, such as co-creation, prototyping, piloting, or scaling. The goal is to create a culture change roadmap that is realistic, flexible, and adaptable, and to monitor and adjust it as needed.

5 Build and leverage the culture change champions

The fifth step is to build and leverage the culture change champions who will advocate and role model the desired culture. Who are the influential and credible leaders and employees who can inspire and motivate others to embrace and adopt the culture change? How will you identify, recruit, train, and support them? How will you recognize and reward them? You can use various strategies to build and leverage the culture change champions, such as leadership development, coaching, mentoring, peer learning, or recognition programs. The goal is to create a network of culture change champions who will spread and sustain the culture change across the organization.

6 Evaluate and celebrate the culture change results

The final step is to evaluate and celebrate the culture change results that will demonstrate and reinforce the value and impact of the culture change. How will you collect and analyze the data and feedback that will show the progress and outcomes of the culture change? How will you report and share the results and learnings with the stakeholders and the organization? How will you celebrate and appreciate the achievements and contributions of the people involved in the culture change? You can use various methods to evaluate and celebrate the culture change results, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, case studies, stories, or events. The goal is to create a culture of learning and improvement, and to acknowledge and celebrate the success and effort of the culture change.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?