A strategic approach to culture change
Here at Pecan Partnership, we often talk about supporting our clients through a strategic approach to culture change. But what do we mean by ‘a strategic approach’?
Characteristics of a strategic approach
We see it in several ways:
- Strategic goals: We’re always working to ensure that culture change is focussed on serving the organisation’s most important strategic goals, be that the bottom line, customer or colleague experience, or something else.
- Prioritisation: We know there are always more good ideas than there is time or money to support them, so we help our clients prioritise as ruthlessly as possible, to make sure every change or cultural tweak provides the most value.
- Realistically ambitious: We help our clients dream big, whilst still ensuring there are clear and actionable next steps.
- Holistic: We ensure we get the right breadth and depth in how we engage, for example through culture diagnostic surveys that go to all staff, as well as more focussed input across the levels.
- Sustainability: Finally, we help our clients make sustainable culture change that lasts. Whilst organisational culture is dynamic, the behaviours and confidence that our clients develop through working with us helps them to positively influence those dynamics long after we’ve left.
So, how do we work with our clients to deliver a strategic approach to culture change?
There are three key components of how we work, that together enables us to consider a culture – and how to adapt and evolve it – strategically.
Working together
Firstly, we work seamlessly with our clients to see and understand the real cultural ‘big picture’. Our approach brings together and leverages three powerful inputs: i) the deep organisational expertise of key leaders at all levels, ii) the feedback and experiences of colleagues and customers, and iii) our fresh eyes, objectivity, and cultural expertise.
By bringing these different perspectives together, and cutting through the noise, we articulate and bring to life the core cultural characteristics of the organisation and describe the impact they’re having.
Blending our services
Secondly, we draw from and combine our six core Pecan services, to create an offer that’s bespoke for each client, and helps get most value from their investment and efforts.
The six services are:
- Culture change that works: getting under the skin of the organisation’s culture, identifying solutions that build on what’s working, and changing aspects that are getting in the way.
- Diverse and inclusive cultures: creating organisational cultures in which everyone truly belongs, is involved, and matters.
- Golden thread strategy: developing strategy that connects the organisation to its purpose, from top-to-bottom and side-to-side.
- People engaged change: enabling organisations to implement change and build their adaptive capability, whilst successfully taking their people on the journey too.
- Hybrid high-performance: helping hybrid and remote working to become the ‘wind in the sails’ for positive culture change.
- Healthy performing teams: getting the right balance between high performance and well-being – both at a team and individual level.
Putting values front and centre
Thirdly, we put values at the heart of what we do. We do this by ensuring that the client’s values are front and centre, reinvigorating and clarifying them where necessary, and that they sing through in our proposed solutions and actions.
Plus, we also bring our own Pecan values, which mean so much to us, to everything we do:
- Light touch, lasting impact
- Power in partnership
- Science and passion
- Dream and evolve
Next steps
We’re clear that a strategic approach to culture change is the only way to go. To find out how it might help your organisation, get in touch with Ella Overshott or Andy Loveless, or make contact through our website.
