2

5

High performing organizations have a mission that tells employees why they are doing the work they do and how the work they do each day contributes to the why. Clearly state where the organization is heading and make sure the vision, strategic direction, and goals are understood and shared by everyone in the organization. Articulate your purpose, or the ultimate reason you are in

business Develop 2-3 key strategies and priorities to focus people and

resources regarding what to do, and importantly, what not to do Engage employees in a bottom-up goal setting process—at both

the individual and team levels—to help them connect their day-to-day activities to the longer-term strategy and vision

High performing organizations encourage and support employee involvement; involving as many people as you can in the change process is key to moving the organization forward. To drive effective change, engage employees at all levels in your culture change initiatives. Use a parallel approach by implementing change efforts

at the individual, team, leadership and organization level Hold town meetings—if possible—to share information,

hear everyone’s voice, and address questions and concerns

When collecting employee feedback on organizational performance, consider sharing the data with the entire organization

4Plan and ImplementSTRATEGIC ACTIONSBased on the Data

Successfully achieving culture change will require the effort of many people working together toward common goals. Use data to create a common understanding of the culture, identify key areas of focus, and plan further action steps and/or specific interventions. Identify areas of focus by examining your data, link it to

your business goals, and finding the gaps that need to be addressed

While it’s tempting to try to work on many things at once, choose 2-3 key areas of impact that will support the accomplishment of your organization’s key business objectives; often, concentrated efforts in key areas will help create change in other areas

Set SMART goals that are: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely

Monitor the PROGRESS

What’s working in your organization and what is less effective? Once specific strategic actions for culture change are undertaken, measure the progress to ensure you are on track. Identify best practices in the areas that are working and

share them across the organization Make course corrections in the areas where your actions

are less effective Track your progress at regular intervals to measure the

impact of your change efforts. We recommend using the Denison Organizational Culture Change Monitor

5WAYS TO DRIVE

SUCCESSFUL CULTURE CHANGEIN YOUR ORGANIZATION

Nurture CHANGE CHAMPIONS33

Involve the ENTIRE ORGANIZATION 2

Create a SHARED MISSION11

A change champion is a person at any level who can initiate, facilitate, implement, and increase the success rate of organizational change. Change champions need to be good team players who persevere through challenges and make things happen. They key is identifying high-impact people and keeping track of who they are and when to leverage them. Develop change champions on specific roles, tools, methods, etc.

based on their strengths Develop their networking, conflict resolution, and relationship-

building skills and be sure to value and reward them for their hard work

Build a learning community – let them learn from each other

About Denison ConsultingDenison Consulting, LLC has established itself as the world’s foremost leader in organizational culture and leadership. By leveraging our diagnostic tools and solutions, we help thousands of clients across the globe improve the performance of their leaders, teams and organizations.

The Denison Model was conceived from the research conducted by Dr. Daniel Denison to assess the link between organizational performance and effectiveness through the lens of culture. The model utilizes a set of assessments that measure the characteristics proven to impact high performance outcomes and influence a company’s position in the marketplace.

Denison Consulting. (2012). Organizational Change Over Time: What is the General Pattern of Change? Denison Research Notes. Ann Arbor, MI.

Kotter, J. (1995). Leading change: why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 72(3), 59-67.

Warrick, D. D. (2009). Developing organization change champions: A high payoff investment! OD Practitioner, 41(1), 14-19.

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