Someone once explained that the issue with trying to gain an understanding about what is really going on around us at work is a matter of perspective. How for instance would a fish describe water or understand water when water is all around? Gaining a true perspective on your organization is hard and if you are making a major change in programs, organization, technology ???….it becomes critical to have the most unbiased perspective you can have, BEFORE you begin the change.
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Albert Einstein.
When you need to make significant change in your organization, you need to think about how to gain some distance, and validate perspective. Changing your perspective is important to gain a true view of the work culture, what risks are related to making this change a success and building a plan for success. In my experience, the confidential survey of all affected employees and face-to-face interviews of a “basket-weave” of employees (top leadership, middle managers and task leaders) can help to gain the needed perspective.
Survey
A multi-dimensional survey covering the organization’s experience with change, previous changes and related training, views on communications, trust, leadership and any concerns relative to the change being planned is necessary. Responses must be confidential. The result needs to be an analysis that delivers an accurate reflection of the organization for leadership.
This isn’t about everyone getting to vote on the change, nor should it be. Leadership has created a direction and this is an effort to determine what communications, and training are necessary. It also, when compared to the interview findings, will help to determine where the risks are across leadership, managers, learning from previous change efforts and the key cultural needs of the organization. Knowing these risks will allow the building of a change strategy, change plan, measures and a change team with accountabilities.
Face-to-face
It’s hard to lie to someone who is sitting in front of you, asking every single interviewed person the same questions, promises confidentiality and asks only that you not share the questions you were asked with others so that the responses of others will be “top of mind” responses. This may require using a third-party person to do the interviews. This will encourage employees to trust that what they say will be held in confidence, that no statement will be attributed to any individual and only aggregate findings will be shared with leadership and ultimately blended with the survey results and shared with the whole organization. Shared with the whole organization? Yes! If you ask questions, you owe a response.
Note
Culture rules! What your organization values, how they work, together and across department lines, how they trust, how much change they have experience (how much of that do they view as successful) how valued do they feel……all of this and more determine your work culture. Your perspective on work culture must be obtained from the people in the organization who are living in the culture. Staff employees can actually see the water. Culture trumps strategy, every day of the week. Make sure you understand your culture BEFORE you make the change.