5 ways to forge a fresh, resilient culture

After defining the framework of your new strategic direction, articulate the vision to employees. Reward those who quickly adapt to help build and sustain momentum.

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Whether it’s due to lack of results, an acquisition of another company or because of leaders’ new vision for business goals, your existing culture might have to evolve to accommodate the company’s new strategic direction.

Here are five steps to reshape or revive a culture in need of repair:

1. Define the desired culture. Develop the framework for what, exactly, you want the culture to be. What is top leadership’s vision for where the company is going? What are the values that will support reaching that vision? Which behaviors will be encouraged, rewarded and recognized, and which actions will be forbidden?

2. Mind (and find) the gap. It’s crucial to understand and acknowledge the gap between the desired culture and where you are now. Our company does this during the discovery phase of strategic planning, through interviews, focus groups and surveys with employees representing a wide cross-section of functional areas, job level and geography.

It can be painful digging down into the roots of your current substandard culture, but it’s important to have an honest reckoning with how far you have to go.

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