![\"culture1\"](\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/culture1.jpg\")
<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nA lot has been written about organizational culture, but there is little consensus on what it actually is and how to change it. Two things we know for sure: organizational culture exists and it plays a crucial role in shaping behavior.<\/p>\n
Why should we think about culture? Because your culture is how<\/em> your organization does things. And how you do things is critical to your performance and success.<\/p>\n According to the Katzenbach Center<\/a>, 96% of employees say some change to their organizational culture is needed, and 51% think their culture requires a major overhaul. So even if you\u2019re comfortable, you probably should be thinking about how your organization\u2019s culture impacts both goals and the quality-of-life for your employees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How do you even begin to think about shifting something as seemingly monolithic as culture? First, you have to acknowledge that you\u2019ll be experiencing three states:<\/p>\n How you get to the future depends on your goals. But you also need to prepare for the \u201cmessy middle.\u201d<\/p>\n Culture shifts: planning the move from comfortable to messy to hopeful. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n About three years ago, OCLC embarked on an effort to shift our culture. Library requirements were changing, and we needed to evolve to serve our members and their communities. We wanted to be a culture characterized by speed, accountability and execution. We took the time to study the current culture, both its strengths and weaknesses. We rethought how to drive and sustain positive changes.<\/p>\n Our culture has been reshaped into a collaborative, technology-driven, high-energy organization. Because physical spaces can both reflect and shape culture, some of our changes are very visible. You can see some \u201cbefore and after\u201d pictures below, of our OCLC headquarters.<\/p>\n Remember: Culture is the \u201chow\u201d of your organization. Your spaces often reveal how<\/em> people relate to each other, solve problems and interact. In our case, we wanted more options for staff interaction, more visible and useful technology resources and an emphasis on openness and movement. What do your organization\u2019s spaces say about your culture?<\/p>\n If you decide to change your organizational culture, keep this in mind: No matter how much everyone agrees and says yes\u2014be ready for a bumpy ride. Change is stressful, even if it\u2019s good change.<\/p>\nCulture is shaped by values, reflected in behavior, affected by rewards. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n But take heart: Most people realize that in today\u2019s world, change is essential. Here are three key things to remember as you move forward.<\/p>\n Complex cultural changes are successful only if individuals change how they do their day-to-day work. Successful change in your organization will be the culmination of many individuals moving from their own current state to their own future state.<\/p>\n Because, in the end, cultures change one person at a time.<\/p>\n Question\u2026How would you describe your organization\u2019s culture? Let us know on Twitter with the hashtag #OCLCnext<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Culture matters A lot has been written about organizational culture, but there is little consensus on what it actually is and how to change it. Two things we know for sure: organizational culture exists and it plays a crucial role in shaping behavior. Why should we think about culture? Because your culture is how your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[36,58],"class_list":["post-875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-organizational-culture","tag-library-management","tag-strategy"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Understanding culture change<\/h2>\n
![\"before](\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/before-after.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nChanging your culture<\/h2>\n
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