Just so we are on the same page, organizational culture is the values and beliefs that shape how employees interact with each other, their customers, and the organization itself.
We must understand that with every new initiative, culture is powerful and can literally allow change to happen or shut things down. I remember a person saying it like this…culture eats new initiatives for breakfast.
I want to share with you five ways I have seen culture sabotage new training initiatives and what to do about it:
01.
Unfavorable Policies
If organizational policies or procedures need to be updated or more relaxed, they could hamper the initiative’s effectiveness. For example, if a policy prevents employees from taking advantage of online resources or requires them to attend a certain amount of in-person training, it will limit the initiative’s effectiveness.
02.
Poor Vision
If there is clarity about the overall purpose and goal of the initiative, it will be easier for employees to recognize its value.
03.
Lack of Engagement
The initiative will succeed with buy-in from leaders or managers. It’s essential to ensure that management supports, champions, and actively participates in the training effort.
04.
Limited Time and Resources
If the culture is built around “doing more with less,” employees may not have the time or energy to participate in a new training program. It’s critical to ensure that necessary resources are available to provide the initiative succeeds.
05.
Unwillingness to Learn
Some cultures can be resistant to change and reluctant to embrace new ideas and methods. If employees are unwilling to try new things, utilizing the new training initiative will be challenging.
These are just a few ways that culture can shut down a new training initiative, but there are likely many others. Therefore, it’s essential to identify these obstacles early on and take action to address them before launching the initiative.
