“Our softening sales rebound. We can’t afford to be distracted now.”
“This merger goes through. We’re at a very delicate stage in our negotiations.”
“We get through this round of layoffs. Morale is going to take a hit for a while.”
“We get this new technology platform implemented. Our transformation agenda is losing momentum and that’s a real worry.”
“We get the go-ahead from HQ. We’re really not able to address this without their sign-off.”
“We end the current feud with our Union. They’re obstinately refusing to budge on key items.”
“We’ve worked out why Sales and Marketing still aren’t collaborating effectively. You’d think they’d understand how critical working together is.”
In truth, all of these challenges are merely symptoms.
Ironically the root cause is probably your Culture.
The very thing you’re always finding some reason to not tackle.
I get it.
Culture change can seem enormous and complex (but it doesn’t need to be).
Culture change can seem to happen too slowly (but there are tools to accelerate momentum).
Culture change can seem amorphous (but there are ways to focus efforts and impact).
Sure it is hard.
But so is going to the gym consistently or being the only one on a diet in your family.
As the future success of any organization rests squarely on your ability to lure world-class talent and deploy market-beating innovation, totally avoiding the Culture question seems like pure insanity.
Some things are just too critical to let petty excuses or perceived hurdles stop you.