CHAPTER 9

Cultural Challenges

In the previous chapters we have shown that we can plan change carefully, considering the organizational culture and the different personality types within it. However, we can still get ambushed by Cultural Challenges or enemies when we least expect it. This chapter reveals some of the most common ones and provides suggestions how our Change Superhero can best disarm them.

Understanding conflict

We should start by understanding our own relationship with conflict; we all have different reactions to it and some of us try hard to avoid it. The reality is that delivering change is unlikely to come without some level of conflict, so we may as well be prepared. The word conflict often conjures up thoughts of angry, raised voices with overt challenge, which can be intimidating for many. However, there is also a more insidious type of conflict that can be just as challenging and possibly more damaging if not addressed. This is covert conflict, whereby people don’t air their concerns openly. They may come over as being passive-aggressive or nod in agreement to our faces but then do nothing or talk negatively behind our back. We need to be prepared to build the skills to manage both overt and covert conflict if needed and will need to unleash our communication Superpowers to do this.

Overt conflict

As outlined earlier, overt conflict is visible; it is when people display emotions, and we might recognize this as resistance when people are experiencing change. There can also be other fundamental reasons for overt conflict like fear, lack of understanding or the other person just having a bad day. Whatever the cause, the solution is the same – we must listen and show sincere empathy for the emotions being displayed. Note the importance of the word sincere here, because we have probably all experienced call-centre staff whose empathy comes over as patronizing, simply adding fuel to our frustrations. Sincere, empathic listening involves eye contact, nodding, a sympathetic facial expression and occasional reflective statements. These might be phrases like ‘I am sorry to hear this’ or ‘That sounds like a big concern to you’ or ‘That must have been extremely frustrating’. Remember, the goal is to make the other person feel understood and we know that we have achieved this when their response to our reflective statement is an impassioned ‘yes’. This is the point at which trust is built, making people far more open to our views or recommendations. Having established trust, we can then utilize another of our Superpowers and use courage to make our case.

Covert conflict

Courage is also required when we are dealing with covert conflict. This may be hard to spot, and we need to be alert to the body language of others. We might recognize incongruent body language where someone agrees to a change or action but their facial expression doesn’t align with the spoken words. They may demonstrate a blank facial expression, quietly shake their heads or shrug when you are delivering a message. We might notice them mouthing words under their breath or whispering to someone next to them. It is very easy to ignore or overlook these behaviours, particularly if we would rather avoid direct conflict personally. Unfortunately, this can result in the spread of negativity and resistance to the change that we are trying to engender. To deal with covert conflict, we need to be prepared to challenge the behaviours calmly and constructively. Again, our tone of voice and facial expression needs to be curious rather than combative. So we might say something like ‘I noticed that you seemed to say something under your breath just then; do you have some thoughts or concerns that you would like to raise?’ or ‘All views are valid and welcome; what are your thoughts on this suggestion?’ or ‘I can’t help feeling that you may have some reservations; would you be prepared to share them?’ Usually, the individual will be taken aback but will share their concerns or issues and you will be able to address them. Occasionally they will be slightly startled and state that there is no problem. This is your opportunity to reinforce the fact that you are open to all views and that the change is here to stay, so it is important that everyone is on board. Although this individual is unlikely to be your strongest advocate, it should prevent them from undermining your project.

Six types of Cultural Challenges

Now we are in a position to address individual conflict, it is worth looking at other covert Cultural Challenges that can undermine change if we are not prepared for it. They can be caused by specific individuals, subgroups or cultural norms. Whatever the cause, it is worth us being able to recognize some of these common blockers to change. Here are a few examples that you may have come across and ideas on how to combat them.

A ‘no’ culture

This is the sort of organizational culture that may overvalue critical analysis to such an extent that almost anyone can say ‘no’ to change but hardly anyone can say ‘yes’. Many of us have experienced organizations filled with cynics and critics who can always find a good reason not to do something. Pushing back and resisting change by being critical is an easy way to avoid taking risks. If we can understand the root of the issue, then we can be better prepared to deal with this kind of challenge. We can prepare our business case complete with full analysis of the risks and potential benefits of the change. When presenting our message, we can pre-empt some of the likely perceived risks by explaining how we have considered these and have risk mitigation in place. We need to remove the fear and make it easy for people to say ‘yes’. Often, introducing a change project as a trial, pilot or proof of concept makes it easier to overcome the ‘no’ culture.

Not-invented-here-itis

This is similar to the ‘no’ culture in that people push back on any change, almost automatically and without real consideration. It can be really frustrating for the Change Agent, who might feel rejected without any logical answer or fair hearing. Again, certain people tend to be more likely to act like this than others and some may say it is also about fear or insecurity. Whatever the cause, the most effective way of overcoming this Cultural Challenger is by involvement. Identify the people most likely to block the change early and get their input. If you can, take a suggestion or quote from them and incorporate it into the plan or change messaging. In other words, make them feel like they played a key part in developing the change or even that it was their idea in the first place.

Playing the game

This is when any decision, however small, must be turned into a detailed board paper and signed off by the executive team. It is particularly common in bureaucratic organizations and is probably driven by a combination of lack of confidence by those at the top and an institutionalized mindset. Often, it seems that the purpose is about creating an audit trail of data that will protect the ultimate decision-makers in future, should their decisions be questioned.

This type of environment can be exhausting for the well-meaning Change Agent as they eagerly knock over the various barriers and hurdles in the pursuit of getting a decision made, only to have their paper discarded at the last minute. These cultures are very difficult to change and require a combination of being seen to ‘play the game’ by writing the paper and gaining sponsorship from the most influential person at the top of the organization. It is sad to say, but it is also the type of culture where Change Agents should be selective in the changes that they get involved in and only choose those with strong sponsorship. If you are going to prepare a board paper, why not try a PowerPoint or a summary ‘one-pager’? This still creates an audit trail but can get your point across faster. It is also worth booking one-to-one, face-to-face meetings with those at the top table before you present your paper, if you are to be confident of keeping it on the agenda and gaining support.

Keeping up with the Joneses

This kind of culture reflects a perceived competitiveness in the marketplace, where there is a constant focus on what others are doing. This is sometimes indicative of a ‘me-too’ marketplace where there is little to differentiate one product or company from others, reflecting a lack of confidence in the market position or strategy by the leadership. The tendency here is to avoid making decisions unless others are seen to be doing the same thing. Obviously, the best way to get decisions or support for change here is to use the competition as a reference point for your business case. Give examples or case studies of how others have made the same decisions and had brilliant results. Try creating urgency around potential resource shortage or likely competitor behaviour.

After the meeting ends, debate begins

This links to our conversation on conflict, where on the surface people are smiling and pleasant about our plan, but the real debate only takes place behind the scenes. Often, this is down to one very dominant or powerful individual who others don’t feel able to challenge. Like covert conflict, this is difficult to address if it is invisible. As Change Agents we need to be able to identify where this is happening and bring it to the surface, otherwise we end up with very political situations where decisions are made behind closed doors and meetings and collaboration create cynicism because they constitute an empty ritual.

If this is the culture around the board table and we are relatively junior Change Agents, there is very little we can do personally. Perhaps we can raise this with human resources, who might set the scene for some executive coaching or board development by bringing in a neutral facilitator who can build trust and promote insight. Once the team are open to being more effective, the facilitator can work with them to uncover rules and codes of conduct. This is likely to take some time but should result in people expressing their views on future change more openly.

Keep your head down and it will go away

Many organizations have experienced a succession of change initiatives, many of which have not been completed. Even when initially proclaimed as urgent, the direction might have shifted and the change simply didn’t happen. Perhaps the business requirement changed, or the leadership simply didn’t manage the change through to completion. Whatever the cause, the result tends to be jaded employees who will react to the next change with cynicism, whatever it is. The real challenge for the Change Agent is convincing these cynics that this time the change is for real. There are three ways of aiming to achieve this; first, plan your change really well, think about potential obstacles and how to overcome them up front. The second point is to acknowledge that previous changes haven’t been completed, but communicate clearly that this one is here to stay, with firm backing from a credible sponsor. Finally, ensure that the change is followed through to completion.

Conclusion

In conclusion of Part II of this book, we can see that this chapter has raised some of the more nuanced challengers to change. In the case of overt conflict we will almost certainly notice the challenge and our response will vary according to our level of comfort with conflict. However, covert conflict and many of the Cultural Challenges outlined above are more insidious and easier to avoid than they are to address.

Drawing attention to Cultural Challenges gives us the choice to utilize our Change Superpowers from the first part of the book and influence a better outcome for all. Combining these skills with our awareness of potential challenges puts us in a better position to plan for change rather than just react to it.

The next section shows us how we might ‘save the world’ by building a Change Master Plan. We consider how to plan, manage and communicate change effectively. Many of the Cultural Challenges above are caused by failed historic changes that weren’t seen through to the end. The final part of this book discusses Kotter’s eight-step process for change, explaining how to see change through to completion. Every time we don’t complete a change, we break trust and create a little more resistance for future changes. So, always remember that it is our responsibility as Change Superheroes to model textbook change that builds trust and credibility.

Quick recap on Cultural Challenges • We need to be prepared to search out and address both covert and overt conflict during change. • It is worth stepping back and considering the underlying cause of a Cultural Challenger in order to plan how to address it. • Different tactics are appropriate for different situations. • We may not win every battle. • Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others.

Online toolkit The following free change resources can be downloaded via: www.changesuperhero.com • ‘How to Handle Conflict’ questionnaire