In: Economics
How do people change culture?
Individuals may have formed a mentality "for me to succeed, you must lose" from years of playing sports but gain the understanding that the mentality no longer serves anyone within the business. Those who were told by their parents, "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all," and now find it's getting in the way of improving people and guiding them. Many who believe leaders do not make mistakes and therefore have the habit of justifying why problems are not their fault (providing excuses) and recognizing in a moment of reflection that it is better to consider truth and continue with solutions.
Transition becomes easier when people understand the culture's meaning or justification for influencing it. We need to be explicit about the voyage's "from and to." We need to realize that the changes will improve their organization's spirit and efficiency and help it serve its mission better. This will help them make a deeper personal commitment to the requisite improvements in their team and in themselves. The idea of rapid change of behavior through informative interactions is not new and is well known, but the effect is widely undervalued. If we want to improve ourselves it is human nature for us to be more committed to performance.
For a stable , high performance society, the habits needed often make perfect tools for people to live their lives. Collaboration, personal accountability, learning and developing, loyalty , trust and many other essential personal values are part of a winning community.Fortunately, it turns out we don't have to study these values we already have them. If we are at our best they immediately turn up. The key is to more frequently be at our best. In a future post, I'll be discussing how to live life "at your best."