Culture is on every CEO’s mind. When it comes to scaling a business, the internal structure—how you invest in your team—matters most. This edition of Notes On, with Gillian Davis, explores the fundamental principles for building a culture that grows with your company. Centring your employees is at the heart of each of her dos.
Notes Cn Culture Change
I was at a CEO dinner, and for the first time, we spent the whole night talking about culture.”
A CEO shared with me over coffee. He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last. From growth to turnaround, to enterprise to start up, everyone is scratching their heads when it comes to how to change the culture of their business so that it can thrive and survive in the future. I define culture as the behaviors that will deliver the business’s strategy.
So why is everyone finding it hard to figure out?
The pandemic was a forcing function in more ways than one. It was a collective pause. CEO’s went into crisis mode, strategy shifted into short term survival and their culture followed. At the same time, they balanced employee wellbeing in a fully remote environment, while navigating significant geopolitical factors.
As the dust settled, we started to shape the new playbooks, but then round after round of layoffs hit the technology sector. For many, it was the first time the employer really showed itself. It’s not about family, it’s about business, and everyone is replaceable.
Then, AI dropped into the chat, causing a media furor of headlines spearheading that our jobs would be under threat, whilst CEOs were mandating we embrace it.
So, now our strategy is starting to shift. How do we bring our culture with us?
As we move out of survival and into growth, we must lead with intention to create change, recognizing it won’t be easy and it won’t be overnight. For leaders, culture change isn’t about them, it’s about you, and that might be the biggest blocker. Be the leader your business needs from you, not necessarily the leader that’s worked for you.
To quote Ginni Rometty, “Growth and comfort do not co-exist.”
It will be uncomfortable as you create new norms. Employees are not as trusting as they once were, and many are change exhausted. We want to make it easy for them to step into this new world, and bring the energy and excitement back, without dismissing the past few years have taken a lasting toll. Look to inspire your team by painting a clear and compelling vision of the future. Celebrate the small step changes that signal the change you’re looking to see. Repeat the “why” and make it easy for teams to “win!”
You got this.
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