Organizational culture is a critical factor in any successful business transformation. It is associated with greater market competitiveness, employee and customer retention, and talent attraction. Leaders must consider how they are shaping and building a culture that unites people around a common cause. A good culture must provide continuous alignment with the vision, purpose, and objectives of the organization.
Today's workforce wants to understand what is making a difference within their companies. While work cultures are unique to each organization, the basis of what allows a culture to thrive is the extent to which employees are empowered to participate, feel valued, and be heard. Companies must assess whether their own organizational culture allows employees to live up to shared values or compromises them. Business transformations are bold strategic changes that help organizations operate more effectively or make a complete strategic change that organizations can use to accelerate change and growth beyond typical incremental advances.
To reinforce the transformation, the organization must also invest in continuous development that develops and strengthens the competencies that support the new culture. Champions of change are employees at all levels of the organization who promote the process of change in a formal and informal way. The goal of digital transformation and implementation is to increase value through innovation, invention, customer experience, or efficiency. Organizations that are ready for cultural transformation may consistently see low employee engagement scores and a high turnover rate for new employees and high-potential employees.
Apple's massive transformation wouldn't be possible without the work it did to expand its culture of innovation and design thinking. When employees identify with the organization's culture and values, they feel a sense of belonging and purpose, which results in increased motivation and productivity. There are several well-known change management models that organizations can use and modify to drive cultural transformation. The application of a generic strategy for cultural transformation may not produce the desired results and may generate resistance on the part of employees.
Organizations must ensure that their business transformation efforts are aligned with their corporate culture and values in order to achieve success. Leaders must create an environment where employees can intertwine their beliefs with those of the company and work together around a common vision of purpose and success. Companies must invest in continuous development that develops and strengthens the competencies that support the new culture. They must also evaluate whether their own organizational culture allows employees to live up to shared values or compromises them.
