Evolving & Transforming Cultures

"A culture is not an abstract thing. It is a living, evolving process....." - Mary Robinson

We often encounter organisations approaching their challenges with a hard stance of “we need to change our culture”. This has the tendency to become personal. This mindset sends an unintentional message that the current culture is wrong. Instead, our approach focuses on gaining the trust and cooperation needed, which is why we embark on a sensitively guided ‘cultural evolution’. 

It is careful and deliberate. It is respectful and inclusive. It creates a sense of shared ownership and participation in the process of cultural evolution. 

Together we co-design, facilitate, and embed practical, applied behavioural approaches in multi-level, multi-dimensional culture interventions, to shift patterns of thought and behaviour. We help create environments conducive to enhanced well-being and performance, and in support of an organisation’s strategic agenda. and embed, and facilitate practical, applied behavioural approaches in multi-level, multi-dimensional culture interventions. Shifting patterns of thought and behaviour to create environments conducive to enhanced well-being and performance, and in support of an organisation’s strategic agenda. 

Organisations present a complex, dynamic contextual system in which numerous moderating factors influence the extent personal values guide an individual’s behaviour. The moderating capacity of the environment can cause individuals to alter their behaviour, or for a team/group their collective behaviour. The meanings formed by each individual of what they continue to observe and experience, and the behaviours they see being recognised and rewarded, become cues for their future behaviour. Their repetitive responses, which are reinforced by acceptance, then produce ongoing patterns of responsive behaviour. 

To evolve any culture, we need to understand the contextual influences within the organisation  and the psychological underpinnings that govern key relationships at the individual, group, and organisational levels.  

We bolster culture evolution efforts by employing ethical ‘norm-taking’ and 'norm-making' frameworks, as augmentals for values-driven behaviour. We help identify legitimate norms to follow and guide the  process of ‘norm-making’, where existing norms do not address the issue at hand, are too general, or are obsolete.

Throughout this process we are guided by our value of stewardship. 

We emphasise the importance of balancing the need for continuity and stability, with the need for adaptability and innovation. We emphasise the preservation of core values and traditions with the need to adapt and evolve others in pursuit of a culture that is resilient, agile, and capable of achieving sustained success.