Cultural Change in Government Agency
Culture change in a government agency is tough. Organizational culture usually is substantially rooted in the system and thus hard to adjust. As a leader, implementing change in an organization is a great challenge. The difference may include the setting of new goals, defining new roles and processes. The reform aims at instilling new values to staff, communication habits, change of attitudes, and assumptions.
Organizational culture is a set of ways a given organization does its things. For someone within the organization, changing what has been the norm for some time is an uphill task. Organizational culture is what sets an organization different from another. The behavior and values of employees in an organization contribute to the psychological and social environment of that organization. When new staff joins the organization, they slowly get inculcated into the organization culture by default. Initially, a person may be able to see the strength and weaknesses of the outside. However, as a person slowly gets into the organization system, they become the organization.
Organizational culture is a common way of doing rituals, and it is the glue that holds employees together. It includes the philosophies, attitudes, and practices commonly shared in an organization. The culture within an organization makes it immune to change. Since government culture is Its DNA, it is hard to change the culture from within the organization. The interdependency within different departments within the government agency makes changing culture hard. Adjusting culture changes may require a difference in how systems run and realignment of goals and values.
Culture change requires a change of thinking, not only for the leader of the organization but also for those implementing the change. It would thus require training and allocation of resources to the change. Culture change requires leaders and followers to adjust from their comfortable positions and embrace new normal. It will require abandoning old traditions held by members of the team and creating new cultures.
Bureaucracy is another challenge a person within the government agency will encounter when they want to implement change. The bureaucratic system of government affects how decisions are made. The method may thus frustrate efforts done to effect change within the government or slow down the process itself. Support from the top management, as well as cooperation from colleagues, is essential. The comfort, however, is lacking in the change. Effecting culture change within the government requires a complete overhaul of mindset and behavior. The attitude change is a great challenge for a person willing to make the change from within the organization.
While cultural change is a positive thing to enforce in the government, it often faces some resistance. Resistance within the agency may take several forms, such as a reduction in the output of employees, an increase in staff turnover, abnormal requests to transfer to other departments, staff hostility, and quarrels within departments. However, subtle or insignificant resistance to change may appear, it derails the effort of a leader. The key to reducing resistance to improvement is embedded in several approaches that a leader may take.
Leaders should endeavor to make cultural changes participatory. Decreasing the resistance to change for an organization requires the leader to involve staff input. Views and proposals from the staff must be included in adjusting cultural change. The team should be given a platform to air their opinions and thought towards the shift happening. Some staff, who has been with the government for a more extended period, may suffer psychologically when they think about change. Addressing these concerns helps reduce resistance to change. Practical solutions should be first implemented, then gradual, and more complex solutions should follow.
Understanding the nature of resistance is vital in minimizing resistance. Technical changes are not resisted as much as social changes. Studies show that what employees fear most when it comes to change is social relationships. Inter department ways of communicating are essential in employees’ output. Changing the way employees relate with one another regardless of the hierarchy is detrimental to production.
When implementing new ideas and technical aspects, they must be introduced in stages and phases. The phase introduction allows the employees can do a dry run. Testing the effectiveness of new ideas reduces the degree to resistance since what may not work at a time will be halted. Cultural change does not require a complete overhaul of the system instantly. The instant change increases hostility by the staff towards the new culture setting it up for failure.
Staff attitude has a direct correlation to resistance to change. While some staff may have valid concerns when it comes to culture change, others may just be ignorant. Addressing staff attitudes and engaging them is crucial in resisting change. The management can address staff attitudes by continuously promoting news ideas and new goals of the company. Understanding the vision for the organization is crucial for the employees as they are the ones to steer the goals further.
Top executives are critical in reducing resistance to change. The availability of senior executives in addressing queries from the staff is crucial in promoting change. Intentional and informed discussions by the executives are essential in debunking myths and clearing the air on what change means for the organization. New work assignments and work schedules require training for staff so that the whole team can get on board. Ignorance from the crew may cause resistance because the future may not be apparent to them.
To ensure a smooth transition of change in the government agency, proper methodology and tools are critical. Culture change should be systematic and structured for effective organization success. The following tools and methods are crucial in implementing culture change.
Process Maps and Flowchart
Process maps are great tools for creating visuals for the process. The visual tools are beneficial for everyone participating in cultural change. The flowchart can be used to show the roles of each staff and leader when it comes to executing the culture change process. While preparing the assessment of the change cycle, the flow chart can be used in determining the current state of the organization as well as the post-change state. The information will give an accurate picture to the staff and thus help them embrace the coming change. Changes happening can be implemented, discussed, and projected on the flowchart. The documentation helps the organization for future reference.
ADKAR Examination
The model is used as a tool for coaching for the staff and people involved in the culture change. The model is crucial as it helps the employees to gain assistance and accept change. ADKAR is an acronym for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. The model uses a set of goals required for the leader to achieve. The leader should be able to meet the set goals for them to be able to earn the support of the team. Achieving a goal is crucial for the success of the implementation strategy. For the achievement of change, the leader should promote awareness, inspire the team to desire change, increase their knowledge on change, enhance their ability, then execute the move.
Culture mapping
Culture mapping involves using a tool to envision the governments’ culture. Using the culture tool to visualize the behavior of the employees is critical in gathering information crucial for initiating change. The tool can help the leader recognize positive attributes in the company, which need a little enhancement for change. The best approach is using a culture mapping tool that involves identification subcultures within different departments. After identification of the subcultures, an interview with a representative of each department is crucial in gathering more information. An organization of the information collected for analysis is vital to produce the desired outcome.
Field Analysis
The decision-making tool helps you recognize and examine forces against implementation. The tool supports the leader to come up with a workable solution. To effectively use this tool, a definition of the change plan is essential. Brainstorming ideas against the change and those for the change is crucial. Lastly, an effective strategy for change is implemented.
Stakeholder Analysis
In this analysis, the leader identifies stakeholders and groups them on various factors such as income, geography, and profession. At the end of the review, a report on the needs of stakeholders, and the approach to deal will be prepared.
Kotter’s 8 state change model
In this model, effecting change can be achieved by creating a sense of urgency. When everyone sees the need for change, they will be more open towards it. A battalion of influential people is critical in ensuring others are convinced to embrace the change. Forming a strategic vision and communicating the concept of the team is crucial in achieving the transformation. Acting on the idea requires the removal of any obstacles within and without the system. Motivate the team to embrace change by celebrating short term achievements. Continue to build on change and make a culture out of it.