Column Pieter Vos: Cultural change

It happens even in the best companies. Things aren’t running smoothly. There are issues within the organization, and complaints are piling up—both internally and externally. You KNOW something needs to change. But your organization is stuck. Nothing seems to budge.

There’s no shortage of theories on tackling company culture and change management. Countless studies have been conducted, and entire bookshelves are filled with insights on the topic. My personal favorite? ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson. Look it up sometime.

Realizing that things need to change is one thing. But how? A new director stepped in, only to be replaced by another. Managers were brought in to fix the situation, but they came and went. Meanwhile, the ‘practical craftsmen’—the people doing the real work, some of whom had been with the company for 40 years—kept getting handed those infamous (endless) change management surveys. It didn’t do much. The complaints didn’t decrease, but the (work) pressure did increase. The key to change remained elusive.

So I started digging. What were the cultural parameters in this company? If I could get that moving, the entire company culture might start shifting. At first glance, it seemed to be about responsibility and discipline (or rather, the lack thereof). But I wasn’t entirely convinced. So I dug deeper. I started listening.

To truly listen, you have to hear people. And for that to happen, they need to speak—from the heart. That requires trust. So I immersed myself in their world, stepped into their shoes. Only then did I start to see and hear what they were really up against. By diving into the deepest corners of the organization, I uncovered the real leverage point. It all came down to being seen and heard.

Listening to the people on the work floor—believe me, that’s worth its weight in gold.
Finally, the company culture started to shift.

Pieter Vos
Consultancy & Interim Management