Whether it is trying to find a work-life balance after COVID or looking to change the way an organization does things to keep up with the competition, the concept of changing corporate culture is not simple.
Roger Martin, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, has penned some thoughts on the topic of change management for Harvard Business Review. He says change of this magnitude is incremental, not the result of a single dramatic gesture or event.
He likens it to the world of retail where each transaction is between an outlet and a single customer as opposed to the wholesale supply chain where one transaction covers multiple stores.
So, he advises CEOs … if you want to change your corporate culture, it happens one person-to-person relationship at a time: micro-changes versus wholesale change. Change how individuals work together and you change the organization.
The tone is set at the top. People watch what their bosses do and follow. If leaders preach carbon reduction, but fly around in big jets, the preaching gets overshadowed by the actions.
Originally published September 7, 2022
