Can you change your company culture?

Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day. – Frances Hesselbein

I saw this quote a couple of day ago and was amazed at the simplicity and truth of it.  Every once in a while you hear – I want to change the company culture.  Great! A few things to keep in mind – it won’t happen in a day and if you are the leader, you may need to change yourself as well.

You can change the culture but it is a process. The first person that needs to change is the leader. Believe it or not this is the person who sets the culture through their leadership style.  If the leader doesn’t change – neither will the culture.

Before setting out on a culture you need to clearly understand what you want the culture to be and determine your role in getting there over the long-term. If you are the leader you need to know how your actions affect others, can you behave in a way that will create the new culture you want and lastly can you sustain it. Sounds simple but it can be harder to do. The process can take over 6 months to complete – it may be quicker if you are smaller and longer if you are much bigger.

Yes you can change the company culture – be patient, consistent, and genuine.