10 reasons culture change can seem daunting—and how to prevail

Adaptation within any given industry is inevitable, and it requires agility. A key problem is that group behavior can become monolithic and intractable. Here’s how to put the wheels in motion.

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Despite universal agreement about culture’s importance in the workplace, there is little consensus on what its role is.

How culture influences performance—and how leaders can change it—are also subject to debate.

Without a clear understanding of culture, we cannot hope to discern its connections to other key elements of organizational design, such as strategy, structure and incentive systems. Nor can we develop good approaches to analyzing, preserving and transforming cultures.

If we can define what organizational culture is, we will better understand how to diagnose cultural problems and develop better cultures.

Here are some ways to think about organizational culture and the implications for changing it:

1. Culture is ‘how we do things here.’

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