People aren't happy; satisfaction is abysmally low; people are not performing - some are threatening to leave. The organization is developing a reputation as an unhealthy place.So, how do you change the culture of an organization? Such a simple question; surely there must be a simple answer.

Culture isn't something you fix.

Most organizations fail when they try to change their culture directly through speeches, training programs, or through direct intervention. To be successful, organizations need to change how they are led, and how are managed.

The new culture then emerges as a by-product of these changes.

Culture gets changed in concert with a new strategy, a new governance model, new processes, and new performance management systems. Pure culture conversations don't work because they don't produce a clear idea of what needs to change, and how it needs to change. Focusing on changing the way organizations solve problems inevitably affects collaboration, ergo, the culture.

An organization’s culture is a complex system with a multitude of interrelated processes and mechanisms which keep it humming along. Performance reviews and training programs define the organization's expectations. Reward systems reinforce them. Memos and communications highlight what's important. And senior leadership actions - promotions for people who toe the line, versus a dead-end career for those who don't - emphasize priorities.

In most organizations these elements develop unconsciously and organically to create a system which, while not always ideal, works. Changing culture is difficult, messy, and complex.

So, why not avoid it, if possible? Why change the culture? The business seems successful. The culture seems to be working. Why not keep it?

Because the current culture is not sustainable. Eventually the organization will lose its best people. No one will want to belong there, not even you.

Whether it’s a for-profit business, a non-profit NGO, or an organization representing the interests of Amateur Radio, the same is true.

Admittedly, building an effective, cohesive team is difficult. But it’s also simple.

Teamwork doesn’t require intellectual insight or masterful tactics. More than anything else, teamwork comes down to courage and persistence. So, if you’re committed to making your team a healthy one, and if you can get the rest of the team to share your commitment, you’re probably going to succeed.

Teamwork is hard to measure. Yet, as difficult as teamwork can be to achieve, it's not complicated. The true measure of a team is it accomplishes the results it sets out to achieve.

Two important questions:

1) Are you really a team?

Sometimes a team improvement process is doomed from the start because the group going through it isn’t really a team at all; they are a team in name only.

A real team is a small group of people who share common goals as well as the rewards and responsibilities for achieving them. Real team members readily set aside their individual or personal needs for the greater good of the group.

It’s okay to decide your group isn’t a real team. In a world where real teamwork is rare, plenty of non-teams succeed. In fact, if your group is not meant to be a team, it’s best to be clear about that than to waste time and energy pretending you’re something you’re not - because that only creates false expectations, leading to frustration and resentment.

2) Are you ready for the heavy lifting?

The advantages of being a real team are enormous. But these advantages cannot be achieved without a willingness to invest considerable time and emotional energy in the process. Unfortunately, many teams aren’t prepared, and they take shortcuts and half measures. Not only does this prevent them from making progress, but it can lead to a decrease in team performance.

So, it’s important to enter this process with eyes wide open, and with no illusions about what is required. That doesn’t mean becoming a team will take years, or that it will be unpleasant. Most teams do make significant progress in weeks, or months, and find the process itself most rewarding - if they do it right.

Communicate or else

So often when things go wrong, we blame a failure in communications. Communication missteps result in poor service, low morale, and unhappy colleagues and stakeholders. Most often, the underlying fault of poor communications is attributed to the organization - as a whole.

This may be true, but the individuals within the system also share some of the blame.

So, what can be done about this problem?

• acknowledge that problems occur. Take responsibility for things you can change, focus on becoming a better listener, and reduce the volume of unnecessary e-mail you generate.
• change the communication mindset. Be available to exchange ideas, make it clear that everyone owns communication issues, and that everyone has a stake in keeping lines of communication open and flowing.
• punch holes in silos. Initiate dialogue with individuals with different interests about issues that affect you and your interests, and share information with them, asking for information in return.

Communication issues will always be with us. However, if individuals begin to exert more ownership of the problems, solutions will be found, one person, and one interest group at a time.

The Mark of a Team Player

An organization's success depends on a large variety of talent and skill, more than any one member of the organization can possibly possess. There are always many issues to address: technological, legal, financial, personal, leadership, and more. Any member of an organization who is self-aware enough to know he is not adept at everything, is one who has already taken the first step toward being a great team member.

This personal mastery involves a heightened understanding of one's own behavior, motivators, and competencies, in addition to having the "emotional intelligence" to monitor and manage one’s own emotional responses in a variety of situations. This can be very difficult, especially for those who are not comfortable, knowledgeable, or willing to acknowledge their individual strengths and weaknesses.

We all know people who insist on controlling everything that happens within the organization. This kind of behaviour can block or limit the talents of others, and does not contribute positively to the forward momentum of the organization. Such individuals need to understand they must either lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Obviously, no single person can do it all, and, if they are the least bit self-aware, they will realize they are neither capable nor knowledgeable enough to do it all.

To help achieve self-awareness and personal mastery of being a great team player, members of a great team need to:

• monitor their own personal performance, taking note of areas where they excel, where they need improvement, and then communicate that information to their peers
• recognize they need to be aware of the effect their behaviour has on others, and
• remember, while criticism is sometimes difficult to accept, there is probably some truth in it.