Changing the organizational culture in the workplace in 5 steps

Changing the organizational culture in the workplace can improve employee engagement, but it requires developing and following a strategy.

Remember that employees are accustomed to the practices, attitudes and values that have been cultivated in your organization, so changes can create uncertainty and cause reluctance. 

However, in today’s markets, where instability has become a constant, it is imperative to change the culture to adapt to new circumstances and needs.

To guide you through the process, we have outlined 5 steps that will help you evolve safely. 

What is organizational culture?

Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs, procedures, roles, structures and attitudes of an organization that influence each of the people who make up the organization. 

This culture defines the basic principles in the performance of work, but also in internal relationships and extends to suppliers, customers and users.

The organizational culture must, therefore, adjust to the changes in strategies and structures necessary tto adapt to fluctuating markets (following strategies such as the Kaizen method). It must be flexible, adaptable and constantly evolving.

Why is it important changing organizational culture?

Changing a corporate culture provides you with strategic benefits that are closely linked to attracting, evaluating and retaining talent. 

We list and develop the most important of these below. 

Demonstrate an Evolving Workplace

Adapting organizational culture to the demands of the marketplace helps a company stay current and in constant motion. 

This dynamism enhances its competitiveness and value in the marketplace.

Facilitates talent assessment

A solid and positive work culture that aligns the company’s goals and values with those of its employees improves the employee experience. 

To achieve this, it is essential to incorporate personalized talent assessment policies. 

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Attract qualified profiles 

Changing the organizational culture allows your company to adapt to the demands of today’s markets and differentiate itself from its competitors. 

This can translate into attracting highly skilled talent that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

Promote a healthy work environment

Maintaining a healthy work environment is one of the biggest challenges for any organization, as it has a direct impact on how people behave. 

If employees are happy in the company, in a space where their physical and emotional conditions are good, they will strengthen their commitment to the corporate culture.

Why is it difficult to change a corporate culture?

Keep in mind that changing organizational culture can be difficult because it is deeply rooted in the organization. 

Values, mission, beliefs, processes and procedures are embedded in habits and situations of comfort or power.

Changing all of this is an effort that requires an active attitude capable of overcoming possible resistance to the process, using tools such as knowledge economy.

This is why it is so important to have a strategy that addresses people’s fears and helps them understand the benefits of change.

How to change the work culture?

Changing a corporate culture can be an easier process if you know and understand the following 5 steps. 

Put your people at the center of the change

Involve your employees from the beginning through clear, respectful, and effective internal communications that help them understand why the changes are taking place. 

They need to understand that this change is not a whim, but a response to strategic needs that will benefit everyone.

An effective communication strategy may include the following elements: 

• Leaders and communication agents.
• Objectives. 
• Expected results. 
• Key messages. 
• Distribution channels. 
• Frequency of communication.
• Evaluation of the strategy’s results. 

On the other hand, involve your employees in the decisions. 

Remember that people need to be heard and if they feel part of the change, they will be involved in promoting it. 

You can encourage participation through surveys, forms, suggestion boxes, etc. 

Align organizational culture with business goals

The following factors must be clearly defined, but there must also be consistency between them, as they are interrelated: 

• The needs met by the company and its contribution to society and its employees. 
• The organization’s goals, vision and mission.
• The company’s beliefs and values, including mechanisms for rewarding effort and recognizing people’s work.
• The assessment of existing talent to identify present skills, competencies and knowledge, as well as those that need to be strengthened or captured. 
• The examination of the level of motivation, satisfaction, commitment and trust that employees have in the organization.
• The evaluation of the existing work environment and transformation criteria.

The goal of these analyses is to determine the starting point, justify the change and provide a roadmap for decision-making.

Make decisions according to a roadmap

Once you have succeeded in aligning the organizational culture with the strategic goals that support the need for change, you can create the roadmap for moving forward with the transformation.

You should consider all organizational, structural and infrastructure changes, as well as changes in the responsibilities and roles of people and departments.

Train your leaders

The role of your organization’s leaders is critical to the transformation of your project’s organizational culture.

It is essential that they are trained and motivated to become drivers of change and that there is consistency between what they say and what they do.

Having managers trained in exponential leadership will allow you to foster a humanistic and forward-thinking culture.

Don’t try to go faster than you can

Changing a corporate culture requires you to properly measure the effort you need to make in order to allocate the resources necessary for the change. 

At this point, it is important not to rush and to adapt the pace to the resources and tools you have available.

You need to be aware that this is a long term process that can take years.

At Smowltech, we want to accompany you in the transformation of your company with a firm step thanks to our proctoring plans with which you can enjoy a quality online supervision, innovative and respectful with your employees. 

Ask for a free demo. You will be able to see first hand the effectiveness of our solutions.

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