3pX Group ★ A Sunday Times Best Place to Work’s Post

Culture change is a massive challenge for CEOs and their teams to navigate. Many CEOs have failed. Understanding what’s good and needs to change is more than a simple intellectual challenge. There are a ton of emotions, history, baggage and stories to deal with. Some are helpful, and some are not so good. Acknowledging the past, being realistic about where you are today and painting a new future for the business takes time. It’s critical to engage as many people as possible and ensure their involvement at every step. Creating a new culture isn't about words on a wall. It's about changing behaviours and mindsets. And that impacts everyone. It’s increasingly common for private equity firms to buy sleeping giants, spotting a deal in the making. This usually involves a cultural shift and several new board members. It’s one of the most exciting projects to be involved in. Today, I’m heading down to London to discuss one such example. A large international business recently acquired by a private equity firm must up its pace, commercial approach and entrepreneurial spirit. The good news is that they are committed to a people-first approach, which is a great place to start. If cultural change is a challenge you are grappling with, I'd be very happy to share perspectives.

A company's culture is defined by the collective of its people - each individual working there, no matter how sleek the slogan sounds. We can't instruct people to follow the culture we design for them, it is something that's co-created by everyone in that collective. As leaders, we can foster an environment that enables people to be their authentic selves by creating a psychologically safe environment. This means their uniqueness is respected and valued, and that it is felt by the individuals. More ideas sharing, problem-solving and greater collaboration that contribute to company success will come as a result, when people feel safe and happy to be who they are at work. #authenticity #psychologicalsafety #companyculture #corporateculture #inclusivity #happybusiness #happyemployees

The Key To Success Success is something that all companies strive for, but not all of them achieve it. What's the factor that separates successful and unsuccessful organizations? Culture! A powerful culture changes everything. If employees are motivated, connected, and believe in the company mission, their work will have an immense influence. If a culture is weak, the results will be too. Create your key to success with #trueU. https://lnkd.in/gMXVt3y2 #Success #Culture #CompanyCulture

This culture change article is so insightful that I highlighted half of it. (Such articles tend to be philosophical but this one is based on a case study.) https://lnkd.in/gApdda5v TL:DR 1️⃣ 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐩-𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 Culture change can’t be achieved through top-down mandate […] Someone with authority can demand compliance, but they can’t dictate optimism, trust, conviction, or creativity. 2️⃣ 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 Instead of plastering this new slogan on motivational posters, the leadership team began by quietly using it to start guiding their own decisions. The goal was to demonstrate this idea in action, not talk about it. 3️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 We often think of movements as starting with a call to action. But movement research suggests that they actually start with emotion—a diffuse dissatisfaction with the status quo. This brewing discontent turns into a movement when a voice arises that provides a positive vision and a path forward 4️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 Social movements typically start small. They begin with a group of passionate enthusiasts who deliver a few modest wins. […] While these wins are small, they’re powerful in demonstrating efficacy to non-participants, and they help the movement gain steam. 5️⃣ 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 In terms of organizational culture change, simply explaining the need for change won’t cut it. A leader can do this by framing change within the organization’s purpose — the “why we exist” question. [Leaders] did not hide in a back room and come up with their purpose. Over the course of several months, people from across the organization were engaged in the process. The approach was built on the belief that people are more apt to support what they have a stake in creating. 6️⃣ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬 If your hope is for individuals to act differently, it helps to change their surrounding conditions to be more supportive of the new behaviours, particularly when they are antithetical to the dominant culture. […] create a space where it’s easier for people to embrace new beliefs and perform new behaviours 7️⃣ 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 It’s also easy for an enterprise leader to shy away from organizational friction. Harmony is generally a preferred state, after all. [But] a moderate amount of friction is positive. A complete absence of friction probably means that little is actually changing. Look for the places where the movement faces resistance and experiences friction. […] start there and tackle those sorts of issues. P/S: Which point can you relate to? #Culturechange #safetyculture

I'm reading a great book about culture change at the moment called The Rules of Belonging. The author, Fiona Robertson, explores our behaviours as humans who are hardwired to want to belong and how this impacts organisational culture.   She uses the example of an experiment in which monkeys were deterred from getting a bunch of bananas that was on view to them. They learnt not to go for the bananas. As new monkeys were introduced, the existing monkeys reinforced the "rule" of not going for the bananas. Over time all the monkeys were replaced with new monkeys but the "rule" and the reinforcement of it continued. I expect if the monkeys could talk and were asked why they didn't try to get the bananas, they'd say something along the lines of "because we've always done it this way!" (There is some debate online about whether this experiment even happened, but nonetheless it's a powerful example.)   And that's the thing, the rules of belonging in organisations and teams are often subtle, unwritten and unspoken. I recall a conversation much earlier in my career with a very respected senior leader who had a reputation that you did not say no to her. She had launched a new approach to work and arranged a meeting for her team to ask questions. Not one person spoke in the meeting. Frustrated, she asked me, "why have they all come if they aren't going to contribute anything?" My answer was simple - "It's because you told them to." The unwritten rule of belonging was that if this leader invited you to a meeting, you went. I've also worked with leaders who are frustrated their teams don't step up but then micro-manage their team's work (implicit rule - check everything with the leader); leaders who want their teams to take risks but then hit the fan when it things go wrong (implicit rule - don't take too many risks).   In the book, Fiona says "A strategy without the culture to execute it, is just a piece of paper." As a specialist in organisational change design and delivery, I have seen many initiatives fail to fully achieve their desired benefits or outcomes. The reason for this is often down to adoption - in other words the people aspect of change. Where I have seen change really stick is where it is owned by many, there is shared purpose, explicit permission is given to challenge the status quo and this behaviour is consciously rewarded.   If you are trying to change the way your team or organisation works, ask yourself, "What are the unspoken rules of belonging here and are they helping us to be as effective as we can be?".

Building a great company culture is a quest like no other. The highs are incomparable, but the lows can be stinging. Recently we were awarded a Great Place to Work in each of our 5 locations in APAC, Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Australia, and Singapore. The award is nice, but I wanted to share some commitments my leadership team has made in an effort to create a great culture, something no one gets right 100%, but I am glad we get right more often than we get wrong. 👐 Transparency & openness: times are tough right now, this is why it's more critical than ever to be real with your people. Never assume someone is not adult enough to hear the truth and always give an honest direct answer to a well-intentioned direct question. 💋 Be passionate: we have a saying that "culture is what you see in your manager's eyes". Never lose the passion, people notice, and they lose their resolve. 🙅♀️ No jerks = the best perk: great people want to work with other committed and caring people who have agency over their own growth/learner mindset. Hire slowly and never be apologetic about making changes to ensure you create an inspirational and aspirational environment for bright and emerging talent. 🤗 Embrace change: People who lean into changes, and more importantly lead through them are praised and rewarded. As leaders, we must always communicate change with the “why”. 🎮 Focus on what you can control or influence and NOTHING else: we have another saying "focus on the focus", this means culling the limitless distractions that can come from outside your field of control. Live outside your comfort zone, but inside the zone of what you can either control or influence - everything else is irrelevant. Business culture is the sum of all the parts. It's a group of people who share the same values, driving positive behaviors that create a meaningful and sustainable energy that ensures the potential of the individual and the team is reached... always. Mimrah Mahmood Ewan Ross Ross Candido Upali Dasgupta Niharica Mehta Tim O'Rourke Joshua Barker Ayesha Mumtaz Mike O'Neill Jeff Piniros Alexandra Feig Li Li Chua Weldon Fung (馮瑋敦）Ramnath (Ram) Bojeesh Melvin Chng Georgina Bitcon Cimon Constantine Joseph Latteri Susan Tang Blanchais Hay Yau Shaz Mohapatra

Check out Bradley's recent blog 💭 Culture is often thought about as this intangible concept that represents how people work together. However, culture more practically is the collective behaviours of a team and is, in essence, how work gets done within an organisation. Culture typically comes from the top and this is why leaders must live their target culture 🎯 #culture #businessculture #culturechange #growth

What's the secret ingredient for our client's success?   It's culture, hands down. Culture can make or break any project, product or process. That's why we always pay attention to the culture of the organisations we work with and adapt our solutions accordingly.    We know that cultural change is not easy, but it's essential for achieving lasting value. At May Business, we have the expertise and experience to help you create a culture that supports your goals and vision.    Check out our latest insight from UK Partner Richard Bowden  https://lnkd.in/gD7DuvnN and let us know what you think. Have you ever witnessed the power of culture in action?  

Excited to share my latest article, "Embarking on the Voyage of Open Work Cultures"! 🚀 In this deep dive, I explore the nuanced dynamics of open organizational cultures, drawing parallels between navigating the open seas and steering the course of a tech team. 🌊💻 From the challenges of 'openness overload' to the formation of efficient sub-teams, I reflect on my personal experiences and lessons learned in various leadership roles. The article also delves into practical frameworks and strategies for creating balanced and effective team structures, ensuring every member feels valued and integral to our collective success. Looking forward to your thoughts and discussions! Let's explore how we can foster more inclusive, dynamic, and productive work environments together. What's your experience with open work cultures? #Leadership #TechInnovation #OpenWorkCulture #devex 👉 https://lnkd.in/egnn7pEe

Is your workplace culture holding your organization back? Ron Westrum's Three Cultures model sheds light on the impact of organizational culture on success. Pathological cultures prioritize personal power, breeding fear and blame. Bureaucratic cultures focus on rules over outcomes, stifling creativity. Generative cultures, however, thrive on trust and collaboration, fostering innovation. Leaders play a crucial role in shaping culture. Choose to cultivate a generative culture for extraordinary success. #WorkplaceCulture #OrganizationalSuccess