In the Define the Desired Culture section we highlight the need to make a compelling case for cultural change by first examining what isn’t working and using this as a baseline to build clarity around what would need to change to achieve an aspirational wellness culture.
Cultural change will not happen by simply communicating the culture you want to see and then expecting it to manifest.
Once you have clarity it’s imperative that your cohesive leadership team formulate a clear plan for the way forward.
This plan should include set agreements that the leadership team commit to and that will facilitate the desired culture.
“Culture is a complex, adaptive challenge with no easy answers or ready-made solutions.
It requires leaders who can plan a course of action, in the midst of uncertainty and ambiguity, because the change will not happen by itself or simply by publishing a new set of corporate values.”
Through their work with the Mordialloc Freeway Joint Venture (MCDDJV), Lysander noted some significant shifts across the psychosocial factors that relate to clarity and alignment with the leaders that showed up.
For example:
There is a 50% improvement in alignment of direction by senior leadership across the business
There is a 44% improvement in the Senior Leadership Team’s commitment to effectively leading through change
Just like old habits, old cultures are hard to change. Deeply embedded patterns can reappear and pull you into the old way of doing things. Additionally, we know that culture change takes time.
There will be challenges and there will be times when progress will slow, highlighting the need for milestones or benchmarks to work towards and which show where you are along your path towards your aspirational culture.
For this reason you need a structured plan that the leadership team are fully committed to. At a minimum, this should include:
In short it is better to treat the journey of cultural change as a series of sprints rather than a marathon, and keep an eye on the patterns you’re seeing every step of the way.
Call To Action
Create the space for learners to safely build commitment through agreed upon actions towards their aspirational culture.
Support them in creating a strategy structure that promotes measurement and accountability over the next 12 month period.
Review The Integrated Approach and visit the Lysander website to see how they facilitated this voyage through the actions above.
Taking it Further
Culture is key to improving wellness in the workplace. Embedding the desired cultural shift in the organisational DNA allows wellness culture to become a strategic priority, managed with behaviours, objectives and accountabilities.
By setting this out on one page, leaders and employees have a single source of truth reminding them of behaviours and deliverables at any given time.
While some organisations are equipped to develop a strategy document that paves the way for a wellness culture, others may not be. Seeking support from a culture specialist can help to bring un-biased and new perspectives while challenging senior leaders to develop and commit to strategies that build a thriving and supportive culture.