Way back in the Stone Age (otherwise known as 2014), I had the opportunity to listen to Simon Sinek speak about the difficulties of both leadership and organizational culture change at the Hubspot INBOUND Conference.
I was so inspired by his morning keynote I attended a post-talk “ask me anything” session.
During the session, one participant asked about how to lead an organizational culture change in an organization with deep or long-held cultural conflicts.
Simon’s answer?
Very simple: study Alcoholics Anonymous and their famous 12-step process.
When you apply these principals to organizational culture change it is effective because your goal is to change habits.
Deeply rooted and constantly reinforced organizational habits.
Interestingly enough, years later, while reading The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg also recommends looking to AA for insight into how to conquer and transform negative habit loops of all kinds.
Amazingly, even without the benefit of scientific research on behavior or habit change, AA got it right.
Part of the beauty lies in the fact that you can interpret and apply the steps based on your organization’s individual needs and environment.
And so I went about my own “translation” of how they apply directly to organizational culture change.
The details will change based on your individual organization, but the goals of each step remain the same.
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
As the change leader, this puts you in a difficult position.
Be respectful of the resistance. People don’t tend to like change.
But also present a clear case as to why change is necessary and the mutually beneficial outcome of the change.
What will life look like when this change occurs?
What opportunities will they have which they do not have now?
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
This should not just be an ambiguous commitment either, but a firm plan with structure, timelines, and deliverables—a change roadmap.
Everyone must understand the value of the outcome and the process to get there.
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
All levels of the organization need to answer these questions.
This means everyone from leadership to the janitor needs to be part of it.
Do this in a “safe” way.
People need to trust no punishment will result from honesty.
And the more poisoned the culture, the harder it will be to get team members to feel safe.
Leaders can handle this in a variety of ways.
The method chosen depends on how damaged organization-wide trust is.
In some organizations, an anonymous survey is good enough. Or moderation from an outside consultant. But in others, the trust is so diminished even these methods will be greeted with skepticism.
Working through this obstacle is crucial. You cannot build a new roadmap until every level of the organization has a voice.
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
Acknowledge the breakdown of trust and put a structure in place to restore trust and provide a sense of confidence for team members.
Change must be visible and active both from a leadership and management level.
Leaders must lead within the context of the new cultural doctrine and managers must manager accordingly as well. Organizational, team, and personal goals must reflect the goals of the new culture.
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
It must be worked on, promoted, adapted, and communicated daily—in everything the organization does: Goals, operations, communications, activities, human resources.
Execute it consistently. Even when it’s not convenient to do so.
AA Version:
Organizational Translation:
This can take share in a variety of ways in each organization. The important takeaway is that everyone should be part of the growth, change, and evolution.
Now it’s your turn.
How would you translate the 12 steps for your organizational culture change??
Laura Petrolino is chief marketing officer for Spin Sucks, an integrated marketing communications firm that provides strategic counsel and professional development for in-house and agency communications teams. She is a weekly contributor for their award-winning blog of the same name. Spin Sucks. Join the Spin Sucks community.