Organisations seeking to adapt to new challenges cannot drive sustainable change simply through restructuring and reengineering. They require a leadership capability that can reframe challenges, reinterpret options and reform operations - and to do so on a continuous basis.

Effective Culture Change

Based on our experience, we have identified a number of common themes and patterns, and developed valuable tools, to help leaders and organisations change their culture. But real change is never straightforward because:

• It necessitates new thinking and new ways of working
• It demands new mindsets, not simply new skills
• Underlying assumptions and beliefs must be uncovered and addressed
• Organisational change requires leaders to also undergo change – with the leadership practices generated, permanently changing the way leadership within the organisation is experienced and realised.

From our work in this area, there are six core strategies integral to effective culture change:

1. Explore your culture and capabilities: gain a deep and candid view of your current culture
2. Develop a leadership strategy: this needs to embrace the collective capacity of individual leaders and the collective capability of the leadership culture
3. Transform the executive team: coach senior team members (both individually and as a group) to develop their preparedness for leading and sustaining culture change
4. Take time out for learning: reflect on assumptions, understand problems more clearly and integrate a diversity of perspectives
5. Establish action development teams: action development implements the organisation’s strategy while developing leadership culture and talent; teams of senior and high-potential leaders need to address the key challenges identified by the business strategy - working across boundaries, while developing new and better ways of working together
6. Align talent processes: recruit for the organisation you want to be, not who you are or used to be.

Our Approach:

SMG’s culture change programs offer a distinctive and sustainable approach to organisational transformation.

Following a comprehensive needs analysis to identify critical areas for change, our facilitators and coaches work in a cascading process, typically starting with the top team, to implement a program focused on creating a more engaged, authentic, aligned and collaborative culture.

Our approach comprises:

• A series of experiential workshops covering specific subject areas, and imparting skills that build capabilities to enhance collaboration and relationships
• Group coaching to embed self-sustaining teams
• Where appropriate, one-on-one coaching to further support overall program outcomes.

Depending on the size of the organisation, cultural change programs can run from between 9-36 months.

Benefits of SMG Programs:

The return on investment can include:

• The embedding of a new common language and focus
• Enhanced relationships and collaboration at all levels
• Positive organisational outcomes in terms of employee engagement and financial performance.

Key Contact:

Nigel Wainwright – nwainwright@smgrp.com.au