I’m two months into a management position for which I was hired to make changes. At my last company, I was part of a team that revamped a core division and introduced a series of successful innovations. During the interview for this new job, my boss, who is on the senior leadership team, assured me that I would be a part of the entire company’s culture change, but I’m getting strong resistance to my efforts. Other than my own attempts, I’m not seeing a lot of movement toward change. Should I forge ahead or back off?

Deb's Answer: 

Single-handedly attempting to bring about culture change is not the best position from which to launch your career with a new organization. 

If change is the mandate, and it’s not yet clear that it is, you’ll be better served by first attending to a few important details.

Evaluate the company’s commitment to change.  During the interview process, the case for change sometimes gets overstated. Now that you’re there, you’ll have to reinterpret the merit of the desired change, as well as the company’s tolerance for the pain and turmoil that such an initiative creates, at least initially.   Embark on a course of radical change only if key players are championing the change and their support is evident; otherwise the system and the players will be poised to heartily reject you and your efforts. 

Accelerate your acclimation. It’s natural to try to replicate the model that allowed you to achieve greatness at your past post, but the model that worked in your last situation may not fit here. One significant difference is that, in your previous role, you were part of an established team with credibility within the organization. In the current situation, you’re an outsider coming in to make changes without having developed trust, gained knowledge of the inner workings or established relationships.  Your approach may need some tweaking, or even an overhaul, to exact the same results with the new company.  Jump on the learning fast-track of your current company’s culture, politics and systems in order to devise a strategy that truly matches the situation.

Build alliances.  As a newcomer, you can’t afford to hang out there on your own. To influence people and drive results, you’ll need to build productive working relationships in the new environment.  Start with your boss to synchronize expectations, define the priorities, and obtain visible support for the change initiative. Look beyond your immediate group, also, to reach out to other stakeholders whose alignment could prove essential to your success. Focus closely on the team you’ve inherited to understand, evaluate, screen and align. Put yourself in their shoes, and identify what’s in it for them. Create awareness of the need for change, and outline the desired results and corresponding benefits. As a new leader in this organization, cultivate support to develop or reconstruct your team in a way that motivates not demoralizes.