Transform corporate culture

Marked by its history and its rites, corporate culture, also called “corporate DNA”, is an integral part of the environment in which your organizational strategies will evolve or die. Culture is a lever of motivation and performance. It creates commitment among employees, gives the company its distinctive and competitive aspect on the job market and offers a reference framework for internal functioning. But culture is also the formidable adversary of your business strategies. She can crush them in no time. “ Culture eats strategy for breakfast» as Peter Drucker said so well. You might as well always have it in mind in order to contextualize as best as possible what you are about to implement.

Want to transform your corporate culture? Here are some practical tips to ensure the success of your approach.

Set values

Your values ​​must be at the heart of your culture. They are the basis of the guidelines that will guide you through your mission and decision-making. To define them, involve the main stakeholders and ambassadors of your brand: your employees. Using a survey or a creative workshop, gather everyone’s ideas and identify recurring themes. Know that imposed values ​​do not work in the long term and that you must co-develop your culture to achieve the desired results.

Bringing values ​​to life

Beyond displaying them on your wall, consider setting up a discussion group which will demonstrate the values ​​conveyed on a daily basis by managers and employees. Needs for reframing? Opportunities for recognition? The group makes recommendations. In addition, to keep values ​​alive and to guide behavior, place values ​​at the heart of your daily discussions. Through management meetings as well as daily “one on one” meetings, you have the pulse of your values ​​and your culture as it is lived. You can then have an impact on behaviors linked to the desired vision.

Communicate

Without communication, your efforts and goodwill will be for nothing. Take the time to communicate the “ Why» and the “ how» of your approach in a simple and transparent manner to all your employees. Share with them your expectations regarding their roles and responsibilities in the co-development of values ​​and in respecting them on a daily basis. Whether by memo, email or during a meeting, your employees simply want to know. An official rollout is also essential to unveil your new corporate culture.

Give the example

Once your values ​​are defined and communicated, you must not only adhere to them, but be their ambassador. Be the first to act according to established standards and good business practices. Then ensure consistency between the company’s values, your daily actions and your public discourse. The only way to positively influence your employees is to “ leader» by example. Logical, since it is your approach!

Transforming a corporate culture requires managing change. Your employees will go through a period of adjustment, so remember to encourage them through their efforts. This will allow you to create a real feeling of belonging within your organization and a natural adhesion to your new corporate culture.