Document Actions
Tuned In Cultures
Organizations don’t change unless people do. It may sound simplistic, but changing a corporate culture requires an “ah ha” moment! The same, compelling, memorable realization that causes us to finally keep that New Year resolution. Organizations change when the desired change resonates with every employee in a deep and personal way. By Anne Krietzburg
Watch the "Tuned In Cultures" Webinar
Download the Tuned In Cultures Webinar Slides
My first job out of college was with a state government agency. I cannot tell you how many times I heard my coworkers utter the refrain, “I’ll be here beyond the Governor” when responding to just about anything new that the Governor-appointed Commissioner instituted. They knew with absolute certainty that politicians and their appointees come and go – certainly by no later than the end of their second term in office.
With 40% of newly appointed CEOs lasting two years and the average CEO tenure of about 7 years, it’s not surprising that this sentiment is no longer reserved for government workers.
-
Despite improving the numbers over the course of his six year run, Bob Nardelli – a disciple of leader-builder Jack Welch, after all – never did win over Home Depot’s employees, customers or shareholders.
-
Carly Fiorina made it three years at Hewlett-Packard, where the HP Garage is still a symbol of what can rise from humble beginnings with hard work and determination. You think someone from New Jersey can mess with this icon of Silicon Valley?
-
Remember Jim Donald, replaced after three years as CEO of Starbucks by the Chairman of the Board and former chief executive Howard Schultz? Turns out the customer experience really is what it’s all about.
We can’t underestimate the strength of an existing culture and its tenacity in maintaining the status quo. These battle-worn executives have the scars to prove it.
We know this from our personal lives. For how many years now have you been making the same New Year resolutions? But every now and then something very extraordinary happens: we have a transforming experience that enables us to make the long-desired-but-not-achieved change in a minute.
Why? It’s not the knowing that motivates us to change. We all know we should adopt a lifestyle that includes healthful eating, shed some of those pounds, stop smoking and spend more quality time with our spouse and kids. What it takes is more visceral than intellectual: the “ah ha” moment.
It’s that moment when you come to a sudden realization that what you’ve got to do differently is so obvious, so simple, that all resistance just melts away. Borrowing from Tuned In language: it resonates. You just know you’ve got to do it and you’re committed to making the investment of time, energy or will power to make it happen, even if you’re not quite certain how you’ll go about it.
The same can be true for organizations. As authors Craig Stull, Phil Myers and David Meerman Scott observe in Tuned In
-
The single dominant focus that drives a company’s approach to business is its culture… [the] “company personality” that determines how an organization structures itself and behaves in the market.
-
Tuned In businesses [that is, those that adopt a market-driven culture as their dominant culture] perform better than companies driven by [cultures driven by] innovation, revenue growth or customer satisfaction – without sacrificing the benefits of these three alternative cultures.
The book gives some compelling examples that demonstrate the value of a Tuned In culture, some large and well known (like Starbucks, Avis, FedEx and Apple) and some not (like Phoenix realtor Russell Shaw or The Millionaires’ Magician Steve Cohen). In many of these examples, the culture emanated from the top: the Tuned In CEO drove it. The culture cascaded down the organization and permeated every nook and cranny of even the most far-flung field office.
But what do you do if your company isn’t as Tuned In as it might be?
Organizations don’t change unless people do. It may sound simplistic, but I believe that changing a corporate culture requires an “ah hah” moment, the same, compelling, memorable realization that causes us to finally keep that New Year resolution. Organizations change when the desired change resonates with every employee in a deep and personal way.
So, it may be funny but not surprising, that one of the ingredients for transforming a corporate culture into a Tuned In culture is found in the Six Steps of the Tuned In Process.
But most of us are not CEOs; we’re just trying to impact our corner of the world.
How do you get to that “ah ha” moment? It helps to understand what may be getting in the way and what you can try to do to overcome these obstacles.
If you want your company’s leadership to adopt the Tuned In process, think in Tuned In terms:
| Tuned In Process | Consider This, if Not Tuned In |
|---|---|
| Find Unresolved Problems How do we know what market and product to focus on? |
What business results, in terms of profitability and growth is leadership looking to achieve? What obstacles or lost opportunities are preventing this from happening consistently? |
| Understand Buyer Personas How do we identify who will buy our offering? |
Why are we holding on to a culture that's not getting us the profitability we want? |
| Quantify the Impact How do we know if we have a potential winner? |
How would we know when we have a Tuned In culture? What would be the different? |
| Create Breakthrough Experiences How do we build a competitive advantage? |
How would this change how we compete or how others see us? |
| Articulate Powerful Ideas How do we establish memorable concepts that speak to the problems buyers have? |
What would people at every level need to do, say or think about differently? What can we do to envision and experience what a Tuned In culture would be? |
| Establish Authentic Connections How do we tell our buyers that we've solved their problems so they buy from us? |
Am I following the Tuned In process myself within my own sphere of influence? |
Next time you have a concept, a new process or any other big idea you need to sell, take the time to pause and get Tuned In if you want to be successful:
-
If it doesn’t resonate with your audience, find out why.
-
If it’s not compelling and solving a worthwhile business need or a thorny problem facing real people in your organization, why are you “selling” it?
-
If you haven’t established an authentic, human connection with the people you’re asking to buy your idea, how can you expect them to trust you?
-
If you’re not enthusiastic about– or struggle to come up with a great story or visual way to describe – its value so others can see it immediately, why would anyone else want to invest time, energy or resources in it?
Adopting a Tuned In thought process will eventually turn into a Tuned In attitude and a Tuned In culture.
About the Author
Anne Pauker Kreitzberg is President of Cognetics Corporation. She specializes in organizational and management effectiveness where people and technology are critical to business success.
She has worked with a wide range of organizations helping leaders transform their vision into reality by aligning people, process and purpose.
A trusted advisor to business leaders for over 25 years, she created and has successfully introduced models for collaboration, performance management, workplace flexibility, and change management.
Prior to joining Cognetics, Anne held executive positions in both the private and public sectors and consultancy. Anne regularly speaks at professional conferences and authors articles addressing emerging management issues.
She is a member of the faculty at the Wharton School and holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.
Anne is the author of the Leaders in the Know blog.
Just Don't Get It
What's really going on? Is it that this person: (a) doesn't understand, (b) understands but doesn't agree, or (c) understands but doesn't want to do what it takes to change?
If they don't understand what a Tuned In Culture is, tell the story. Talk about how other companies just like yours succeeded using the Tuned In Process. Connect the dots between that company's situation and yours rather than assume it's clear.
If they get the message but don't agree, then take another look at how you're making your case. Take a page from the Tuned In Process itself: if your message isn't resonating, learn why. Sometimes this means you've got to dig deeper to find the real reason. Deal with these objections head on: acknowledge them and then find common ground for agreement to find a way to move forward.
Why rock the boat? If it's not broke, why fix it? The devil you know vs. the devil you don't. Being creatures of habit, more often than not people don't seem to get the message because they just don't want to change. The good news is that there are techniques for dealing with this.
There are always going to be people who just don't get the message. Fortunately, they begin to get it when it becomes obvious that it works.
How do we bubble up the process?
Bubble Up Change
In a corporate setting, it takes moxie to bring an idea forward and stick with it. But I have found that CEOs are curious; they like to read and explore new ideas. (Think Six Sigma, Balanced Scorecard, Best Practice.)
To build energy around becoming Tuned In, start by creating interest among your peers and with your boss. Find out what others think about how it might work within your own environment. Find ways to try Tuned In techniques. Share experiences about what works. This is the way change "bubbles up."
If a Tuned In Culture means a shift in how people are selected, trained, coached and evaluated, then HR has a key role to play. HR can work with the senior team to make it happen. If HR is not a strong advocate for improving the way people work, who is?
Timeline for culture change?
Timing for Culture Change
When this isn't the case, it can takes years - and in some cases, it never takes hold.
The bigger, more diverse, complex and geographically dispersed the organization is, the more difficult it is. And communication is always an issue. For change to take hold, it has to make sense to people regardless of their role.
My Company is not tuned in.
What can I do if I'm not a manager?
If you're not a manager, you may not be privvy to the intricacies of the business strategy. You may not necessarily be in a position to change the way everyone works.
But often we sell ourselves short in terms of the extent of influence we can have in our own sphere. Rather than think of how impossible it is, consider how you might be able to pull it off if you had no choice but to do so.
- Who can you influence to be a champion?
- What would it take to make even a modest change in direction?
- What do I need to do (rather than 'what can I do') to encourage other people around me to think it's important to become Tuned In?
Getting other people to change is not about you, it's about them. Managers will consider a change if they can anticipate what could go wrong, how soon they'll find out if there's a problem, and how quickly and easily it will be to fix it.
How does HR function when involved in a culture change?
HR involvement in corporate culture change
There is a specialization within HR which is sometimes called organizational development or organizational effectiveness. Folks who work in this area have the training and expertise to do this well, drawing upon a variety of established tools and techniques. They'll be happy to help and know how to manage culture changes.
There's so much to say on this topic, but I'll throw out a few ideas.
HR can work with senior leaders to shape how they see their legacy to the company - the mark of their time "on watch." An example: building a Tuned In Culture.
Corporate culture change sounds very squishy. HR can play a huge role by getting more concrete, creating the detailed strategy and tactical plans, for working with managers and employees to make the shift.
It takes more than HR, certainly, but HR can have tremendous influence in who is hired, how they are indoctrinated in the corporate culture, how performance is reinforced and compensation structured. They promote policies, programs and training that are part of how employees describe their corporate culture.
Maybe that's one reason some people describe HR as the "keeper of the corporate culture."
Good luck!
Intergrating culture change after a merger
Integrating Culture Change after a merger
In my opinion, it's almost impossible for the dominant culture not to take over. Often in a merger - and even more so in an acquisition - the stronger, acquiring company will lead the transition team that makes key decisions about policies, practices, philosophy and people. As a practical matter, it's very hard for the acquired company to buck the team. They don't know the players and they are concerned about their roles going forward with the new company.
So, in answer to your question, it's much easier to integrate the cultures by bringing the new folks into the fold than it is trying to retrain everyone in a new culture that neither has experience navigating.
It takes a lot of careful thought and planning; training; communication; and a strong leadership team to pull it off. But that doesn't mean it's not worth the effort to try to blend the cultures when it's synergistic to do so.
Dilluted Message