At the start, you must understand whether you engineered or intended it or not you have culture in your organization right now. It has evolved over the years. Anyone that has worked in your organization a couple of months, understands your culture very well. It is always there. It is in human nature to form bonds and create norms of conduct for others in the group.
Today there is significant discussion of using this thing we call “Culture” to our advantage, to allow it to enhance the organization, and not to fight it or allow it to detract from our Mission and Goals. Have I had success using culture to make significant impacts. You bet I have; my only regret is that I did not appreciate its power much earlier in my career!
If anyone wants to know about organizational culture just go out in the facility and change something and not tell anyone till after you have made the change. It does not matter if you change procedures or move equipment and machinery around because you find out about culture, very quickly, when you have an office full of upset employees! The sped of the protest and the strength will tell you much about your culture.
So, what is this thing we call culture? First, Webster calls culture, “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group also.” Another definition, “the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.” In manufacturing and other similar facilities, it is all about how the work and process, who does the work, and how people think about all that. If you are into Lean Manufacturing, we call it the “Gemba.” These are the paradigms of thought, word, and deed. Culture is invisible, but it is there, sometimes every bit as big a barrier as the Great Wall of China.
In the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) world we hear a great deal of conversation about Safety Culture. In a broad sense, Safety Culture is how the environment in the facility enhances how employees keep themselves and their coworkers well and safe. However, it is not in a vacuum, Safety Culture is very much dependent on the overall Culture of the organization. In my corporate experience we had that was by most measures a Safety Culture based on employee involvement and engagement. However, none of that would have been possible if the overall Culture did not have the very same virtues.
My company was and is, very much into Lean Manufacturing, in which the core elements of the philosophy involve Teamwork and Employee Involvement and Engagement. We had extraordinarily successful Safety Teams, but their success was due to the overall success of our Work (Manufacturing), Quality, and Employee Relation Teams. Our Safety Teams were not successful despite of the Overall Culture, but as a direct result of the Overall Culture.
It might be possible to have a World Class Safety Culture if you do not have and overall World Class Lean Culture. However, it must be extremely difficult as I do not have any examples. My Safety Teams had extraordinary results, but I know it was because of our total environment and a culture that made that all possible.
One of the problems I have with some organizations is they talk a good game. They want a World Class Lean Culture, and their words reflect that, but when it comes to action, they want to just test the waters and go slow. This does not reflect the kind of commitment you need to bring about this kind of change. You must be totally committed from top to bottom and, in my opinion, “Be All In!”
To bring about this kind of change is challenging, and your fortitude will be tested. You must have that kind of total commitment to sustain you in tough times and those will come. I am not trying to scare you off, I just want you to understand what it takes!
Culture transformation is not easy! It may be the most challenging transformation your organization has ever faced. Is it worth the expenditure of resources, the time, and the effort? In my experience it can exceed all your greatest hopes, but it takes patience and wait for it …. COMMITMENT!
PS Did I mention I am a Lean Convert!
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Fitz https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-or-fitz-fitzgerald/
November 2022
Great article Tom!
Thanks Jeff!