Have you ever noticed how we react to foreign visitors? We always welcome the foreigner who is alien to us. But we accept them only when we find that the foreigner adapts to our norms, our environment and our culture. If the foreigner is not adapting to the norms of the local environment we reject the alien.
This is true in case of Business also. A new executive or a consultant should first try to understand the culture of the Organization and adapt to the corporate culture and take the acceptance of the people. Sans this understanding, the chances for success of the new executive are trifle. Moreover the members of the culture would definitely reject the alien and will work against them.
Is there any thing wrong with the members of the culture rejecting the alien? NO.
The reason is that the employees, the employers, the stakeholders prefer the conformity in their culture. What is conformity? It is the environment where people would and could easily predict the actions and behavior of others and where a harmony prevails. This harmony arising out of the stable environment promotes self confidence and brings the best out of them. Moreover it brings stability and order to the Organization.
So if the new executive wants to change the culture, he should first of all understand the culture and get the acceptance of the members of the culture. How can you bring change when you are not accepted? Many of us have ideas but how effectively we implement the ideas is very important.
The executive should first of all understand that the culture evolves over a period of time and he should not aim at changing it overnight. There is a well know saying “the older the heritage, the more ingrained the culture is in its members.”
The new executive should bear in mind that changing the culture is just not meeting the deadline. Changing the culture involves people. Understanding the culture and bringing the desired changes in the culture is a management art.
Trying to bring changes without understanding the fabric of the culture has brought the demise of several executives. Trying to blame the culture without understanding that people do commit mistakes and people do have different perspectives itself would ruin the executive.
So every executive should be careful about the following: -
• Culture evolves over a period of time and trying to change it without understanding it is a blunder.
• Culture evolves over a period of time and trying to change it without understanding it is a blunder.
• Once you understand the culture, gain the acceptance of the people in the culture
• Understand the good things in the culture and appreciate it abundantly.
• If you find something needs to be changed in the culture, prepare a plan in discussion with the management and important stakeholder.
• Don’t set a deadline for changing the culture and try to meet the deadline. It would be disastrous or may not yield the desired results.
• Communicate more frequently emphasizing the need and importance of the change initiation.
• Gain the acceptance of the members of the culture for the change management and provide them with enough opportunities to internalize the desired changes.
• Monitor and evaluate the changes. Reward the change managers
• Celebrate the changes and involve the people in the festivity
• If you are determined to change the culture, you should be more determined to be patient.
• If you are determined to change the culture, you should be more determined to be patient.
Published for MSN.COM
http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=8d7de0c8-71cc-415d-840e-d3c84bf11bb5
1 comment:
That's treatise on Corporate behaviour. Conformance is expected in Indian culture and this aspect is indeed come out well
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