# Changing Company Culture

**URL:** <http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444>\
**Category:** CSG2016\
**Created:** [October 11, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444 "2016-10-11T16:07:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FredNickols](http://discourse.iapct.org/user_avatar/discourse.iapct.org/frednickols/32/2645_2.png) [@FredNickols](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/FredNickols)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444/1 "2016-10-11T16:07:06Z")

</div>

The most recent version of PwC’s _Strategy+Business_ focuses on culture, specifically, on changing an organization’s culture. It argues that culture is a reflection of persistent patterns of behavior, often referred to as “the way things work around here.” It goes on to argue that to change company culture, you have to change those persistent patterns of behavior that define it. By and large, I agree. There is where PCT comes in. I’ve started work on another of my _Knowledge Worker_ columns from the perspective of trying to change a company’s culture by changing the behavior pattern of its people and effecting those changes in behavior from a PCT perspective.

I’d appreciate any comments, suggestions, corrections, etc., regarding the attachment.

Regards,

Fred Nickols, Knowledge Worker

My Objective is to Help You Achieve Yours

**[DISTANCE CONSULTING LLC](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nickols.us_&d=DQMFAg&c=8hUWFZcy2Z-Za5rBPlktOQ&r=-dJBNItYEMOLt6aj_KjGi2LMO_Q8QB-ZzxIZIF8DGyQ&m=KzzbusXBVHd6RI55fuLJXCA04JEoDIXWOumDopbIdnM&s=ndPd5vjmtFd4tKgY7NrbAfRho8MoHryfzVeYQ7Q4uow&e=)**

_“Assistance at a Distance”_SM

[Changing Company Culture.docx](http://discourse.iapct.org/uploads/short-url/3eY8oPPJv2USHiigu8AosNFIwfy.docx) (32.3 KB)

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**Author:** ![DagArchive](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@DagArchive](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/DagArchive)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444/2 "2016-10-11T16:34:24Z")

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[From Dag Forssell (2016 10.11 0940 PST)]

Fred,

To me, you don't change peoples behavior at all. Behavior is automatic given your reference signals and the circummstances.

What you can do is offer new and better information. If another person takes it into their existing weave of understandings, it follows that reference signals at the highest level, which follow from understandings at the systems concept level or close to it, will change.

Done.

Best, Dag

> **···**
>
> At 09:07 AM 10/11/2016, you wrote:
> 
> > The most recent version of PwC's Strategy+Business focuses on culture, specifically, on changing an organization's culture. It argues that culture is a reflection of persistent patterns of behavior, often referred to as "the way things work around here." It goes on to argue that to change company culture, you have to change those persistent patterns of behavior that define it. By and large, I agree. There is where PCT comes in. I've started work on another of my Knowledge Worker columns from the perspective of trying to change a company's culture by changing the behavior pattern of its people and effecting those changes in behavior from a PCT perspective.
> > 
> > I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions, corrections, etc., regarding the attachment.
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Fred Nickols, Knowledge Worker  
> > My Objective is to Help You Achieve Yours  
> > \<[Fred Nickols' Web Site](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nickols.us_&d=DQMFAg&c=8hUWFZcy2Z-Za5rBPlktOQ&r=-dJBNItYEMOLt6aj_KjGi2LMO_Q8QB-ZzxIZIF8DGyQ&m=KzzbusXBVHd6RI55fuLJXCA04JEoDIXWOumDopbIdnM&s=ndPd5vjmtFd4tKgY7NrbAfRho8MoHryfzVeYQ7Q4uow&e=&gt;DISTANCE) CONSULTING LLC  
> > "Assistance at a Distance"SM

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FredNickols](http://discourse.iapct.org/user_avatar/discourse.iapct.org/frednickols/32/2645_2.png) [@FredNickols](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/FredNickols)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444/3 "2016-10-11T17:31:14Z")

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[From Fred Nickols (2016.10.11.1329 ET)]

I think that was kind of what I was getting at, Dag. You have to get them  
to adopt new goals, new reference conditions, and you have to change the  
circumstances. That doesn't change the fact that most people view culture  
as defined by observable behavior patterns.

Fred

> From: Dag Forssell [mailto:csgarchive@pctresources.com]  
> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 12:34 PM  
> To: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu  
> Subject: Re: Changing Company Culture
> 
> [From Dag Forssell (2016 10.11 0940 PST)]
> 
> Fred,
> 
> To me, you don't change peoples behavior at all. Behavior is automatic

given

> your reference signals and the circummstances.
> 
> What you can do is offer new and better information. If another person  
> takes it into their existing weave of understandings, it follows that

reference

> signals at the highest level, which follow from understandings at the

systems

> **···**
>
> > -----Original Message-----  
> > concept level or close to it, will change.
> > 
> > Done.
> > 
> > Best, Dag
> > 
> > At 09:07 AM 10/11/2016, you wrote:  
> > \>The most recent version of PwC's Strategy+Business focuses on culture,  
> > \>specifically, on changing an organization's culture. It argues that  
> > \>culture is a reflection of persistent patterns of behavior, often  
> > \>referred to as "the way things work around here." It goes on to argue  
> > \>that to change company culture, you have to change those persistent  
> > \>patterns of behavior that define it. By and large, I agree. There is  
> > \>where PCT comes in. I've started work on another of my Knowledge  
> > \>Worker columns from the perspective of trying to change a company's  
> > \>culture by changing the behavior pattern of its people and effecting  
> > \>those changes in behavior from a PCT perspective.  
> > \>  
> > \>I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions, corrections, etc., regarding  
> > \>the attachment.  
> > \>  
> > \>Regards,  
> > \>  
> > \>Fred Nickols, Knowledge Worker  
> > \>My Objective is to Help You Achieve Yours  
> > \>\<[Proofpoint Targeted Attack Protection](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-)  
> > 3A\_\_www.nickols.us\_&d=  
> > \>DQMFAg&c=8hUWFZcy2Z-Za5rBPlktOQ&r=-  
> > dJBNItYEMOLt6aj\_KjGi2LMO\_Q8QB-ZzxIZI  
> > \>F8DGyQ&m=KzzbusXBVHd6RI55fuLJXCA04JEoDIXWOumDopbIdnM&s=ndP  
> > d5vjmtFd4tKgY  
> > \>7NrbAfRho8MoHryfzVeYQ7Q4uow&e=\>DISTANCE  
> > \>CONSULTING LLC  
> > \>"Assistance at a Distance"SM  
> > \>

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**Author:** ![MartinT](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@MartinT](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/MartinT)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/changing-company-culture/2444/4 "2016-10-12T18:21:07Z")

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[Martin Taylor 2016.10.12.14.13]

> [From Dag Forssell (2016 10.11 0940 PST)]
> 
> Fred,
> 
> To me, you don't change peoples behavior at all. Behavior is automatic given your reference signals and the circummstances.
> 
> What you can do is offer new and better information. If another person takes it into their existing weave of understandings, it follows that reference signals at the highest level, which follow from understandings at the systems concept level or close to it, will change.

Dag, remember that if you disturb any controlled perception at level N, its mode of action is to change reference values at level N-1. If I disturb some perception you control by saying "Please pass the salt", I don't think you will change your system-level reference values before I get the salt.

That said, I would expect that for a company culture to change, the culture exists because conforming to it is almost the only way of controlling a perception of "others see me as" with a reference value of "being one of us". Or some such high-level perception, and if this is the case, either that or a yet higher-level perception would need to be disturbed in at least some individuals. Who and how is a real question that probably involves some kind of social network analysis to determine who in the company creates most disturbance to such perceptions by their actions. It could be anyone from the CEO to a popular janitor who might say "Why do you guys behave like that" and be heard.

Martin