Management Consulting and Training - International Management Technologies, Inc.
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Culture Change
-- Background --
A major shift in the attitudes, norms, sentiments, beliefs, values, operating principles and behavior of an organization
Reprinted with permission from Quality Progress magazine.
© 2002 American Society for Quality.
-- With C3 Inside --
This topic is much bigger than anyone should attempt to answer in a small space. But let’s tackle it anyway. Start with the assumption (probably flawed) that we can characterize the culture we have and that we have defined the culture we want. The important question then becomes, “how can we quickly and effectively change the culture?”
The cultural transformation process with C3 inside uses five specific levers:
- Language- How big a problem would it be if we couldn’t agree that 2+3=5? Yet we tolerate ambiguity about what a number of key words mean, including output, service, product, customers and performance. C3 eliminates this ambiguity.
- Values- Values are expressed not by words but by actions. C3 reveals the values we have now and supports the expression of those we want.
- Measures- We measure what we value. We also tend to measure best what customers care least about. C3 creates balance, enables the measurement of the seemingly immeasurable and helps us align our priorities with our customers’.
- Power- All customers are not empowered equally. C3 empowers end-users and curtails broker power.
- Assumptions- Beliefs or assumed truths can be enablers or constraints. C3 encourages the identification and elimination of vital lies to accelerate the pursuit of the possible.
C3 works to quickly change two things first: language and assumptions (especially constraining beliefs). Not many are eager to begin questioning or challenging closely held beliefs. Those beliefs often include Vital Lies, so the introduction of C3 involves the provocative, engaging use of humor to examine the laughable but real absurdities of current organizational behavior. It is well-established that our ability to laugh at our foibles reduces resistance to alternative or new views. Vital lies enable a culture to resist change and customer truths. Eliminate vital lies and a new culture with a customer-centered value system, focused on achieving what was previously believed impossible, begins to emerge.
C3 imposes a rigor on our every day language that turns out to be freeing, not constraining. Suppose ten different employees in your organization were asked to add 2+3. Now imagine that eight of them came up with answers other than 5. Would this be considered a serious problem? You bet! If you asked any ten people who “the customer” refers to, will you get an identical answer? That is highly unlikely. Yet we tolerate that ambiguity in our language every day on issues requiring consensus. C3 frees an organization from this confusion by establishing clear, unambiguous meaning for key words and phrases. See Customer, Product and Voice of the Customer (VOC) in Glossary, Key Concepts or Topics for examples of how culture change works with C3 inside.
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"Creating a Customer-Centered Culture", the Customer-Centered Culture (C3) Model, the C3 logo and the 8 Dimensions Model are service marks or registered trademarks of International Management Technologies, Inc.
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