Milestones Of Change

In creating a new culture as with change of any kind there will be resistance to change. The resistance takes the form of the persistence of core cultural values, beliefs, symbols, preferences and behaviours that exist, the 'me' society. There are also shifts in secondary values, shifts in people's views of themselves and others. Hedonism is giving way to concern for self-realization. There is a transformation from the 'me' to the 'we' society. There is less trust in business and public organisations. People are looking for good corporate reputation and concern for the environment. In society patriots who are happy with the country are in conflict with reformers who are pressing for improvements. Nature and the universe are also in for consideration. While many people want to harmonise with nature and preserve or conserve it for future generations, others want to master and subdue it and use it for the good of humanity. The movement of people who love the great outdoors continues to grow and the industries that go with it. The universe may hold the answers to questions regarding the origin, our place in it, religion and inner purpose.

Culture and all these sub-cultures and counter-cultures can be seen on the ground. They are reflected in the buildings, art, language, literature, music and products we buy. They are in the beliefs and values of governments. A culture is the way of life of a society passed on from one generation to another. It is what we eat and when, being for or against animal testing and food marketing in an age when eating disorders are widespread and obesity is 1 in 5 in some places.

These cultural phemonena are accompnaied by another, the symbol pool. Cultural gatekeepers are intermediaries who have an influence in cultural development and change controlling the 'through-put'. There are the 'bibles of fashion', the many popular glossy magazines that people refer to to help them decide what look they would like to adopt. They all contain multifarious symbols for people to adopt.

At a superficial behavioural level organisation wide relationships need top be considered. Along with this is the boss-subordinate relationship, peer groups and the interdependent relationships. Questions surround whether to have change around the existing culture, a changed or modified culture and abandoning the culture altogether. The change process may encounter a dialectical stage when competing values are pitted against each other. There will always be the deep assumptions level where the core values are held. These basic assumptions are our shared perceptions, values, beliefs and artefacts. They are very difficult if not impossible to change. There are difficult problems even here. Culture reflects shared assumptions about what is important and how things are done, how people behave and routines and rituals, stories and language. Some values and beliefs have little to do with those people really hold and follow. These real assumptions must be discovered as with the sub-cultures and counter-cultures where the values and so on are not shared.

Transformational change can be systemic, dynamic and iterative and a learning experience with multiple stakeholders at multiple levels.