Happy 2023! We’d like to wish you all a very happy New Year.
Many of us make new year’s resolutions. Usually we pick something meaningful that we antcipate will make things better. We want to take optimism and good intentions and turn them to action. Here is a short video about how little things can sometimes make a big difference. We wish you every success with your resolutions if you’ve made any.
It’s often relatively easy to identify something we’d like to change. However, it can be much harder to make it happen! Like starting a new habit or to stopping an existing one. In teams and organisations it’s the same. Organisational culture is notoriously difficult. Even if change starts, the challenge is to then embed it and make it lasting. Hence the famous expression “culture eats strategy for breakfast”.
So, how can we bring about lasting changes? Professor Sharon Turbull, our Organisational Developent Advisor, very recently updated “Leading Successful Cultural Change That Lasts” which you can read here. This is centred around 10 practical tips. Some of them are...
Diagnose your culture carefully before taking any premature leadership action!
Learn to be both patient and persistent – do not give up
Avoid confusing messages. Be consistent and clear.
Avoid overpromising the outcomes of change – you risk causing disappointment if hopes are raised prematurely.
Make sure you build some flexibility into your change programme in case the environmental context changes.
Invest in your change programme over the long term. This cannot be a quick fix.
We often support cultural change and transition programmes - e.g., we've been working with An Cosán on their culture and values. You can see a poster they created here. We are also currently facilitating a process with Self Help Africa/United Purpose to support them with developing a set of values and behaviours.
Changemaker of the week:
Quote of the week: “I do have reasons for hope. Our clever brains. The resilience of nature. The indomitable human spirit. And above all the commitment of young people when they are empowered to take-action.” Jane Goodhall
Best wishes
Lorna, Rosie, Ian, Iain and Kemal