Business Succession - 4 Absolute Principles To Organizational Change

There are certain things readers need to keep in mind when you read articles like this. This is to make sure you understand the first step needed to make sense of this.

Courage! Courage, is defined as "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery."

Converting the principles into action won't happen unless you chose to "be fearless" and "confront your own pain."

Hint...think about what's most painful for you, personally in the life or workplace. What is happening? How would you describe the pain on a scale of 1{no pain} - 10 {pain is excruciating, and difficult to continue without changing your environment.}

Here's what we find. First, acting with courage is a choice.

Second, choosing the act usually reflects the level of pain you're experiencing.

A good example...think of the courage of the unemployed person with unemployment benefits running out...to the person who hates their job, the organizational culture sucks, but it is a job. Which one is likely most courageous?

There usually is no shortage of critics when organizations flounder. Initial signs are the financials. Part of the cause may be the economy. The most significant cause is the cultural health of the company. Arrogance, greed and a disregard for the truth are organization culture failures.

There are at least 4 bedrock principles for the courageous who want to change their culture.

1. if it's important and you don't focus, track and adjust...you lose.

Company annual reports usually limit their report to financial conditions without any assessment on the organizations culture. We know the products, services, gross margins, income, and expense. Yet nothing on the core values/ purpose/ spiritual nature of the company.

2. People rarely change...significantly.

Individual's personalities and values were determined in their formative years. Four generations have merged into the workforce. Generational differences are significant, personal life experiences are vastly different.

Everyone has long held values and beliefs.

Naive the leader who believes people will change significantly. Understanding this fundamental fact provides immense usefulness in organizational change.

Once a jerk, always a jerk.

Once a bully always a bully.

Think of the jerk or bully in your organization. Have they changed? The issue is the company's clarity of boundaries and tolerance of jerk's and bullies.

3. Without CEO visible support and commitment...culture change will fail.

Let's face it; culture change affects the personality of the company. We know changing personality is very tough. Without the lead personality...the CEO in full support of changing the culture, success is likely anemic at best.

Most of the time ends up as another "flavor of the day" management fads.

4. Engagement of everyone in the company provides the energy for culture change.

Culture change affects everyone.

For example honest, respectful, kind, friendly, innovative and personal accountability is relevant from the custodian to the CEO. Everyone has the same duty of commitment to the culture goal.

Almost nothing else in the organization crosses all divisions, departments, products as culture.