"Sustaining The World Class 'I Got WOWed!'™ Culture" is a challenging endeavor for even the most seasoned leader. This month’s installment is part two of a two part series. (If you missed the first installment, Click Here.) 

 

We explore thirteen common roadblocks that can occur during the culture change process. Perhaps you’ve experienced a few of these items yourself and didn’t know what to call it—Now, it has a name. You might even be knee deep in a few roadblocks—Now, you’ll recognize the symptoms.

This article can be especially meaningful because change is the only constant in many of our worlds. Identifying the roadblocks and moving through them more quickly benefits everyone.  

 

Have a most enjoyable Spring and be sure to pass on our e-WOW! newsletter to anyone you think might benefit from the message.  

 

To your continued success,

 Mark Rosenberger, CSP

 

Featured Article

"Sustaining The World Class 'I Got WOWed!'™ Culture"
—Part 2 of a 2 part series by Mark Rosenberger, CSP

When it comes to creating and sustaining a culture shift in any organization, there is a collection of classic “show stoppers” you might encounter in your quest to grow your new culture. They might also be experienced when making any type of company or procedure change.  

 

Listed in this report are 13 common issues we’ve faced with teams while helping create a culture shift. (Several observations are adapted from John Kotter’s outstanding work: Leading Change.) As you read through the list you might not be victim to all the items, nor is it required you experience each issue. However, we do want you to be prepared to take action when they do appear. Sustaining a culture shift is not easy. It takes consistent effort. It requires leadership. We share these topics to support you in your effort to consistently have employees and customers walking out the door saying: “I GOT WOWed!”™

 

1.       Complacency is High And Urgency Low

      Possible Symptoms: “Why change, we’re as busy as we’ve ever been?”; “Why change, the old way was working just fine?”; “Why change, they’re not serious about this change stuff anyway!”

 

2.       A Weak Or Non-compelling Vision

      Possible Symptoms: People don’t “get” the vision; the benefits of moving toward the vision are unclear; there is a “Why bother” resistance; ask 10 people and only 2 know what the new vision is.

 

3.       Under Communicating The Vision By 10 To 100 Fold

      Possible Symptoms: No clear cut strategy for “dripping the vision” to employees; hit & miss mention of the vision at team and or manager meetings; new hires hear the vision during orientation but then it drops dead once they’re on the floor; only one person who is the “Keeper of the Vision”; senior management speaks the vision but it dies on the vine from there.

 

4.       Permitting Obstacles To Block Progress On The New Vision

      Possible Symptoms: Bumps in the road take way too long to handle; old ways of doing things get in the way and are not shifted; allowing people or processes to remain a block or obstacle; spending 80% of your time dealing with 20% of the people on a repeated basis; little or no discipline or accountability.

 

5.       “Not Enough Time” Symptoms

      Possible Symptoms: Know this: No one has “extra time,” however, we allow this to hamper progress; vague goals or objectives; people taking on too much without negotiating for a win-win situation; people being dropped on a repeated basis and nothing changes.

 

6.       “No Help Or Assistance” –The Lone Ranger Syndrome

      Possible Symptoms: One person is responsible for the change effort; allocation of time and people does not support progress toward the vision.

 

7.       People Not Walking-The-Talk

      Possible Symptoms: Actions speak louder than words and the two just don’t add up; holding on to old procedures given the new game; preaching a nice story but being incongruent with actions; supporting the shift in public or to bosses but then bad mouthing it to peers and subordinates.

 

8.       Fear And Anxiety About The Change And Impact On The Troops

      Possible Symptoms: If people don’t know, they’ll assume and it’s never for the best; poor or slow communication; skills for making the shift have not been coached.

 

9.       Not Setting Up And Playing For Small Wins

      Possible Symptoms: Unclear short term objectives; not talking about and celebrating the small wins.

 

10.   A Weak Or Slow Support Coalition

      Possible Symptoms: A support team that doesn’t “get it”; doesn’t want to support the process; is not respected by peers; doesn’t have the support or authority to move items through the system.

  

11.   “The Non-Believers” Syndrome

      Possible Symptoms: There will always be “von-believers” but allowing them to poison others with no accountability is fatal; managers supporting in public but trashing in private; people resisting for the sake of resisting.

 

12.   Conflicting Core Values

      Possible Symptoms: Gross conflicts of core values-i.e. “Our people are important to our success” yet actions continue which may undermine the core value.

 

13.    Failure To Anchor Changes Firmly In The Company Culture

      Possible Symptoms: Nice words during orientation but fails to show up on a daily basis; it’s a tag line or an advertising slogan, not a way of doing business; coaching or training minimized; it’s more of a “program” compared to a way of doing business.

  

There you have it…13 potential roadblocks to your change efforts. Being aware of the issue is half the battle. Now you’re armed. Go out and keep making a difference!