# Changing Organizational Culture By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-05-30 Some organizations, like the military or Fortune 500 companies, have distinct, persistent organizational cultures. These organizations likely do a great deal to sustain these cultures across time and individuals working within them. Rather than pursue organizational change, these organizations likely focus on cultural sustainment. It is rare for highly successful organizations to want to change their culture. In this respect, to pursue organizational change is to admit that the organization needs to be changed. Implementing organizational change is notoriously difficult. Implementing organizational change will become nearly impossible as organizations shift toward a hybrid or virtual model. What is an organizational culture when most of its employees spend most of their time in the most individualized and comforting place? In some respects, changing the organizational culture in a virtual organization will require changing the person in one’s personal life, surroundings, and at one’s home. If organizational change cannot be implemented successfully when people work in an office, it seems unlikely that it will succeed when working from home. There are too many things around that will maintain the status quo. So, what is an organization to do? If organizational change is unlikely to be successful, focusing on something adjacent might be a better strategy. As indicated, virtual work occurs mainly from home, and home tends to be where most people feel most secure. This could provide an opportunity to encourage greater authenticity. Organizations can change by encouraging people to become more of who they are, step toward authenticity, and avoid conformity. The organizational culture can become one of acceptance, empowerment, and autonomy. Virtual work calls for these elements to be cultivated. Organizations that fail to see this will likely enact virtual work awkwardly. Culture emerges from the reality of the organization. This is why so many organizational change initiatives fail. Culture might be thought of as a shared societal habit. Individual habits are hard to modify. A shared societal habit is even more challenging to change. The only hope is to focus on the detriments of the current culture, why change is necessary, and propose a new culture aligned with reality and considered inherently desirable and beneficial. This is a tall order. No amount of consultation will change this dynamic. It would be easier to change organizational behavior as this is more susceptible to motivation and conditioning. Changes in behavior and culture will potentially follow. #### Related Items [[Organization]] [[Work]] [[Environment]] [[Culture]] [[Change]] [[Behavior]] [[Remote Work]]