HOW DO LEADERS CHANGE CULTURE

As you know, culture is the shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that characterize how an organization operates Unfortunately, many leaders don’t think much about the role they can play in shaping their organization’s culture They believe they have more important things to do—like getting the revenue, profits, and growth that are the ultimate measures of an organization’s success But culture is important It is a huge factor in how people behave, whether they are managers or employees It is a big reason why an organization succeeds or fails So how do leaders change culture? The next time you see a mistake in the organization or a behavior you don’t like, look for the leader who is responsible for that mistake or that behavior We have seen leaders who have changed the culture by refusing to tolerate mistakes or misbehavior They have changed the culture by setting the example with their own behavior They have changed the culture by promoting people who are better role models And they have changed the culture by giving people in their organization the opportunity to change Sometimes it is as simple as changing the way an organization does business with one customer For example, at the beginning of our leadership program, we worked with a furniture manufacturer One of their plants was in the Northeast The plant manager had a problem with customer service He kept hearing reports that the customer service reps were rude and even abusive to the customers We decided to pay a visit to the plant to find out what was going on We decided to go in undercover We went in as customers, posing as a couple looking for a new dining room set The customer service rep was polite, but not overly friendly She gave us the price list, but when we asked to see some products, she said they were all out in the warehouse and would have to be brought in We had to wait for about thirty minutes When she came back with a selection of dining room sets, she seemed to be in a hurry As we looked over the dining r