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When internal communications begin to show pain points, how can we encourage cultural and behavioural change? This shift in mindset can seem exceptionally challenging. Especially within organisations where there are strong positions of fixed opinion.
Adopting cultural change allows us to create organisational structures and communications that strengthen the perception of our brands.
As our world is consistently changing in terms of our society, our technology and most significantly our environment, we must also adopt change. Both psychologically and physically.
From Brexit and single-use plastics to the social and economic crisis we find our societies and communities in, it is increasingly harder for organisations and the individuals within them, to turn a blind eye.
Now, more than ever, organisations need to be proactive in thinking about what might be, rather than just accept what is.
In the context of business growth and the influence marketing has, if we don’t embrace change then technology and our customers will enforce it.
When looking at behavioural and cultural change within organisations it is clear that entrenched views and personal self-preservation is crippling the organisations’ ability to embrace innovation to adapt to change.
“It is not the fear of failure why people resist change, it is often the fear of success”
Ultimately it is personal insecurities and the loss of control that fuels the fear of change within us.
Keeping up with Change
Technology is opening up new solutions and opportunities. We are now in a constant state of R&D. By the time an advanced solution has been implemented/launched, we are already looking ahead at the next generation. The operating shelf life has become so small some cases has been superseded before launch.
What impact is this having on our brands and the organisation?
The energy and sustainability of this massive change is clearly having an impact on the economy and our society, with massive environmental damage. It is clearly not sustainable.
How can we bring all this into check?
Building effective leadership and trust to affect change
It is essential that any organisation that wishes to grow, whilst maintaining relevance not only to its internal teams but also to its customers, must create a clear vision.
We must also bring clarity to our communication. Siegel and Gale1 used the phrase ‘simplification’ and ‘the power of simplicity’ to describe the method to ensure the effectiveness of communication.
By carefully crafting our words, timing and context we remove doubt and misunderstanding. We become more effective in building trust, supporting a mindset that will become open to change.
Ensuring consistency to affect change
Reinforcing the message through consistent exposure, ideally via multiple channels, is essential to affect change. We can do this by creating a multi-sensual authentic experience. The repetition of that one clear message will have the power to influence opinion.
The key to creating connections lies in the authenticity, it’s value fit and consistency of delivery.
Work on behaviour to affect change
Organisations that have adopted a leadership mindset will drive behavioural change by presenting a vision and inspiring purpose within the organisation.
Individuals and teams must take on the responsibility to deliver, and change can happen when the majority of the organisation believes. This has a positive influence as well as a feeling of belonging. Negativity and tolerance for poor performance naturally start to reduce as the organisations evidenced behaviours encourage belief in change and its culture.
Using Change for good
Agile organisations can adjust and adapt to environmental and technological influences. When applied to a growth mindset, opportunities can then be identified and extracted.
We need clarity to understand what and most importantly why we need change. Without this our ability to develop trust and confidence in the change will default us back to a mindset of fixed position and resistance. The consistency and repetition of delivery required for successful change will come from a leadership mindset.
“For organisations to embrace change they must first build trust in their teams”.
Organisations need to create a clear vision and set behaviours. Success is found when ownership of this is embraced by the whole team.
Our biggest risk is not to change
Society is restless and it is being fed by an uncontrollable media. Good and well-meaning change has been forgotten in the pursuit of showcasing reckless exploitation.
When organisations do operate without conscience and a regard to the consequences they create damage beyond measure. Environmental warnings, fractures in our society, behavioural intolerances, the warnings are there.
If responsible organisations don’t act to make meaningful change, with purpose, brands will struggle to have a voice.
As an agency partner that builds effective internal and external communications, TMC works with organisations and societies to help build effective marketing strategies. Constantly evolving the ways in which we work has been crucial not only to our sustainable business growth, but also to exponentially grow the clients we serve. A recent example of this is through our partnership with the ISSA, which you can explore online here.
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