Discussion

Complexity shouldn't deter leaders from trying to use culture as a lever. If you cannot simply replace the entire machine, work on realigning some of the more useful cogs. The name of the game is making use of what you cannot change by using some of the emotional forces within your current culture differently.

Three dimensions of corporate culture affect its alignment: symbolic reminders (artifacts that are entirely visible), keystone behaviors (recurring acts that trigger other behaviors and that are both visible and invisible), and mind-sets (attitudes and beliefs that are widely shared but exclusively invisible). Of these, behaviors are the most powerful determinant of real change. What people actually do matters more than what they say or believe. And so to obtain more positive influences from your cultural situation, you should start working on changing the most critical behaviors - the mind-sets will follow. Over time, altered behavior patterns and habits can produce better results.

You may be asking: If it is so hard to change culture, why should we even bother to try? Because an organization's current culture contains several reservoirs of emotional energy and influence. Executives who work with them can greatly accelerate strategic and operating imperatives. When positive culture forces and strategic priorities are in sync, companies can draw energy from the way people feel. This accelerates a company's movement to gain competitive advantage, or regain advantages that have been lost.

Think of your own actions at work. Do you exhibit the right company culture every day? In other words, do you walk the walk and talk the talk?

Could you phrase this a lot better than what I have?

I work as a Locomotive Engineer in the freight rail road industry. It usually a two-man crew that consist of an Engineer and a Conductor. There will be time when Conductors are rotated to different jobs and work differently from the previous Conductor. The conductor is on the ground communicating with the Engineer on what direction to move and on what track to go next. This being said, I as an Engineer always explain the rules, policy, and procedures to the new Conductors. If not, they will not do the work accordingly and cause accidents by trying to take short cuts.