USING BRAND TO REBOOT YOUR CULTURE
The culture, behaviours, 'the way we do things round here', can have a massive impact on the performance of a business.
It makes sense that when people feel valued and respected they're more likely to be engaged in their work and be productive. They’ll also be more likely to take risks to find new and better ways to get things done.
Conversely, it makes sense that when an employee feels stressed and unhappy their productivity drops. Consistent negativity stifles creativity and innovation. Why would you go out of your way, or take risks, if your effort is destined to be shot down?
But what if you want to change the culture?
The thing about culture, by definition, is that it is ingrained and hard to shift.
Changing the way people think, feel, and behave is difficult. It requires people to let go of past experiences, old habits, and ways of thinking and adopt new ones.
Some may be comfortable with the status quo and may not want to change. Some may be afraid of the unknown or of what change might mean for them. Some may not even be aware of the culture they operate within.
If a culture has been neglected, the behaviours and values that exist often go unspoken. They are felt, but not given a name. Therefore, changing something that can’t even be articulated can be particularly challenging.
So how can branding help?
Proper branding, the meaningful kind, deals with culture head on.
It interrogates what the culture is like now (what it’s really like...) and what you want it to be in the future.
It should create a collective ambition for the future. It should define and clarify the purpose that drives the organisation and set out the nature of the relationships it needs to foster.
It forces you to put names to things that have gone unspoken and call out behaviours that won’t be tolerated in the future.
And once this stuff is out the bag, it’s difficult to put back in.
Branding helps to articulate the change. Makes it visible. And compelling.
Culture change takes time. It requires patience, perseverance, communication and commitment. The work is never done.
But if you are looking for change, brand is a great place to start.