Introduction
How can a change process or vision process be set up in a company that promotes the corporate culture and achieves commitment among employees?
It is the desire of every company manager to drive the company's success forward.
As employees make a significant contribution to the success of an organization or company, they should also be given a high level of attention. Especially when implementing a new vision, a new strategy or a new mission statement. To ensure success, everyone involved must be brought on board.
But how can the involvement of employees be successful?
The Beratungszone wanted to find out more and had a process for finding a vision and the resulting change in corporate culture scientifically monitored. Employees of a company were asked about the success factors for successfully achieving their commitment.
It turned out that in order to successfully introduce a new vision or mission statement, the process must be built and designed around the employees.
The employees should already be considered when searching for a vision and the likelihood that the new vision will be supported by the employees should be taken into account.
Even before an employee workshop can take place, the way in which change is communicated must be considered and planned: When will employees be informed? In what form should this take place - in person or online? Who will be informed? Is it a one-off information or is a continuous "reporting" method chosen? What communication channels are available? How are managers and key persons brought on board in advance?
Once this has been thought through, you can focus on the next steps.
Building up multipliers is also crucial to the success of the process.
Temporarily dissolve hierarchies in the workshop
Once the vision is in place, managers can be informed about the new plan in a workshop. They must be given the opportunity to help shape it. This may also mean that the vision needs to be adapted slightly. It is an advantage in these workshops if the management or managing directors are present and meet the managers at eye level. Hierarchies must be dissolved in the short term. Equality means that managers are shown special appreciation and the workforce is taken seriously.
It should be noted that the management must make honest co-design possible. This co-design was also named as the most important success factor, followed by the appreciation felt as a result.
If managers see themselves as an important cog in the change process, the actual process can begin: Involving the workforce.
Perceiving employees
The next step is to translate the vision, the mission statement or the change to the employees. Here, too, considerations must be made in advance:
How and in what form are employees informed? Who is informed?
What is communicated to the employees and to what extent can the company management enable realistic co-design? Where does the management set limits to co-determination? What are the actual framework conditions like?
It is important to note that enabling co-creation also causes precisely this. Unexpected new things arise. The management must then sincerely comply with these wishes and do its best to implement the suggestions. Even if this means a U-turn in some areas. If some of the employees' suggestions are not feasible, the counter-arguments must be explained in a coherent and comprehensible manner - preferably in a personal, respectful and sincere way.
As the survey conducted by the Beratungszone revealed, the striking recording of new measures and the collection of quick wins were perceived as particularly positive by the workforce.
If co-design is taken seriously, the implementation of innovations can be carried out sustainably, as they are supported by the employees.
Change processes have an impact on corporate culture
Every change has an impact on a system. For example, the introduction of a new vision, a mission statement or a new strategy automatically brings about a change in social interaction. The company management must be aware of this and use it positively. It is an opportunity to develop a new corporate culture. A corporate culture based on appreciation, open communication and togetherness. The management is sensitized to employee issues and at the same time a commitment of the workforce is achieved.
However, changing a corporate culture takes time and continuity. A one-off action, such as holding a workshop, is not enough. As confirmed by the scientific monitoring: It requires an honest change in the way employees are viewed: they must be genuinely respected and seen as a key part of the company's success.
Checklist for a promising implementation of a change process that can achieve employee commitment:
- Professional support for the change process
- Define a concrete and measurable end goal
- What should and may happen during the process?
- What should and must not happen as a result of the process?
- How is change communication designed?
- Who should be able to help shape the change?
- Can the management sincerely accept the temporary dissolution of the hierarchy? And how should the workshops be organized in line with this?
- Are employees treated with respect, appreciation and as equals?
- How do you deal with unexpected results?
- Results must be recorded and implemented sustainably
- Defining quick wins
- Change in corporate culture must be exemplified by top management
- Changing the corporate culture takes time