Making culture change easier to do
Will you contribute to my vision of ending suffering in the workplace?
On Tuesday I wrote a blog about helping people to understand the mechanics of changing culture to remove the excuses for not doing so - read it here. The previous week, during a podcast recording, I shared the approach that I take to help organisations and managers to change, so I’m sharing it here with you too.
I mentioned in the video that it’s been my mission for almost 10 years now to not only help organisations to change their cultures, but also to ensure that managers have the knowledge and skills to be able to do this themselves.
I want to see an end to fear in the workplace, in all industries. I know…it’s a bold vision, but then Steve Jobs said that ‘Those crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do’, so why not me?
I’ve started the process through my ‘how-to’ books (here). I’m continuing to do it through my videos (here), podcast (here) and my daily blog (here) and when I’m asked to share my approach on podcasts and interviews I always do, in the hope that it will inspire change.
Would I like things to happen faster? Of course. Would I like everyone to prioritise culture in the same way I do? Definitely. I’m an optimistic realist which in this context means I recognise that there is a lot of goodwill to make work better, but that it won’t happen overnight.
I read an article recently about an architect who is now regularly compared to his famous peers, such as Frank Lloyd Wright. In the interview, the architect’s son said that while his father never received the recognition or acclaim of other architects in his lifetime, he not only improved the lives of the people for whom he worked, he also left a professional legacy that others have been able to build on too. That sounds pretty good to me.
I’m not famous, haven’t sold a million books and I’m not a Professor Emeritus at a fancy university. I started on the bottom rung of the ladder in an obscure northern English town, worked hard for 30 years and I’m now looking to give back to ensure that future workplaces become safe, productive and fun (why not?!) for all.
You sharing this article or the video with others will help to spread the message of what it takes to change culture and may inspire someone else to take action too.
Building a great place to work is beneficial to everyone and if you joined my crazy vision to end workplace suffering, who knows what we could achieve!
