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Worldwide

Changing the Culture

By Andreas Frische, Partner
Region: International

Top sector: Industry, Production

SOMETIMES, THE WORK YOU DO TO BRING PEOPLE INTO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS CAN ACTUALLY HELP CHANGE THE ENTIRE CULTURE OF AN ORGANISATION. IN A SPECIFIC CASE, WE HELPED START THE CULTURAL CHANGE WITHIN AN ORGANISATION BY PROVIDING AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LOOK FOR ITS PEOPLE. THIS TOOK PLACE IN A MANAGEMENT AUDIT SOME YEARS AGO. WE HAD A CLIENT, A PRODUCTION COMPANY WITH OVER 15,000 EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE ORGANISATION.
IT WAS A CLIENT WITH A VERY TRADITIONAL LOOK AT PEOPLE AND STEREOTYPICAL SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE ORGANISATION. INSTEAD, THE CLIENT LOOKED FOR PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, POLITICAL, AND REGIONAL BACKGROUNDS. THE TYPICAL HIRING PROFILE WAS THE OPPOSITE OF DIVERSITY.
THIS CREATED MANY PROBLEMS FOR THEM, AS THEY WERE STARTING TO RUN OUT OF TALENT — AND THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE OBVIOUSLY OUTDATED AND PROBLEMATIC. THEY ALSO HAD A LONG-STANDING POLICY OF NOT HIRING EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS, AND WE WERE THE VERY FIRST TO COME ON AS AN EXTERNAL ADVISOR.
THEREFORE, THERE WERE MANY CULTURAL PROBLEMS AND MINDSETS TO OVERCOME TO BRING THEM TO A POINT WHERE THEY HAD TO CHANGE. THIS COMPANY ASKED US TO ASSESS THEIR MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SINCE THEY WERE ABOUT TO REORGANISE THE ENTIRE COMPANY. THEY ASKED US TO ADVISE ON GOOD PLACEMENT DECISIONS.
THE INITIAL ASSIGNMENT WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE BOARD WHERE THEY DESCRIBED THEIR UNIQUE CONTEXT, FUTURE GOALS, AND WHICH EMPTY BOXES IN THE ORGANISATIONAL CHART TO FILL. THEY WANTED TO CHANGE IT TO A BUSINESS UNIT ORGANISATION, WITH THE MANAGERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE P&L INSTEAD OF JUST RUNNING THE DEPARTMENT. WE HAD TO SEE WHO HAD THE CAPABILITIES TO DO THAT NEW JOB.

We did an individual assessment of 30 potentials and made the analysis with the idea of changing the organisation in our heads. From there, we assessed the people with our standardised, science-based MU leadership assessment and outlined their strengths and weaknesses. Then, we recommended where these people would fit to succeed in the new organisation. This joint endeavour got the management to think about the criteria for hiring and the importance of partnering with outside experts when needed. Once they brought us in, we worked hard to move away from old standards and instead helped to bring the company into its new, modern, successful era.

Andreas Frische, Executive Vice President & Partner
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