Evolving Organizational Culture: A Strategic Approach to Culture Change
The benefits of a thriving organizational culture are powerful. Research indicates that culture is a key differentiator between the companies that sustain winning performance and those who barely meet average benchmarks. However, according to a 2014 global study by Korn Ferry, 72% of executives say culture is extremely important for organizational performance but only 32% say their organization’s culture is fully aligned with the business strategy. What’s more, only 35% of executives believe their employees can articulate their organizational culture to a great extent. In today’s business environment, culture is strategy.
When there’s a disconnect between organizational culture and business strategy, most senior leaders realize it’s time to change the culture — but a better mental model is to “evolve culture”. Evolving culture requires a clear and compelling case for change and senior leadership alignment is essential.