𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱? With recent shifts from Amazon and Grab calling employees back to the office five days a week, culture change is back in the spotlight. Some see this as a strategic move to justify downsizing, while others argue it’s a chance to preserve core elements of culture—whether it’s fostering innovation or maintaining a relentless drive. I’m not here to take sides. My stance is on 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺—making expectations and the “why” explicit to capture inconsistencies. It’s about enabling authentic change and giving people the informed choice and agency to engage, rather than masking change under one-size-fits-all mandates. Culture isn’t static. It’s shaped by actions and decisions over time. True culture change requires recognizing this evolution and respecting that change frameworks should match the current context, not lumping “culture” and “culture change” together as a single entity. Doing so only adds to the challenge and diminishes the potential for impactful transformation. Different stages of culture require different focal points: 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝-𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩? 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Culture thrives on consistency. Regular, intentional actions lay the foundation for a stable and recognizable culture. 𝙄𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩, 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙩? 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: To reset culture, bold, decisive actions are required at key moments. This isn’t about minor tweaks; it’s about setting a new course that realigns values and expectations. 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙘𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮? 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: True culture rebuilding demands both—a firm reset to signal change and a sustained commitment to consistency to reinforce and solidify the new direction. If you’re navigating the balance between consistency, reset, and rebuild, let’s connect. A culture check-in can be a powerful way to understand where you are now and identify actionable steps for meaningful change. PM me if you’re ready to explore! ---- I'm Susan, founder of co:grow, a HR strategy & fractional consultancy for startups and teams in transition mode in SEA/APAC. Connect for perspectives on founder support, HR leadership development and impactful (not best practices) people practices for human at work.
"Culture isn’t static. It’s shaped by actions and decisions over time." This is gold Susan P. Chen, Ph.D.!
It's refreshing to see the emphasis on transparency and recognizing that culture is a dynamic entity. Your breakdown of building, resetting, and rebuilding frameworks for different stages is insightful. Susan P. Chen, Ph.D.
Insightful take on culture change, Susan P. Chen, Ph.D.! Recognizing where a company stands in its growth, reset or rebuilding phase can make all the difference. Aligning values with actions helps establish a consistent culture - especially when major shifts are in play.
Human Resources at Everstone Group
3moSome speculate that it is a move to fit square pegs into square holes. A way to encourage employer-win right sizing.