Founded in 1984, Dr. Reddy’s, an Indian pharmaceutical company, was riding a wave of success. It was valued at $2.1 billion and had over 20,000 employees worldwide. Success does have its own set of problems though, and in Dr. Reddy’s case, it came with problems in agility and innovation. The company’s policies and procedures were dragging it down.

The company’s leadership team decided they needed a change in their culture, so they developed a new slogan, and a plan to make the message of the slogan part of their culture.

The motto was “Good health can’t wait.”

The team wanted to be more patient oriented, but they wanted it from every level and department of the company. They wanted all of the employees to understand their place in the organization and how they helped drive the business to helping patients receive their medications.

It took time, but the company changed their culture. However, they didn’t do it by ordering employees to change their behavior. They did it by changing employees attitudes.

The change began at the top and was demonstrated by leadership through actions and decisions.

This is the real power of a company culture, it is flexible, and you can make adjustments when necessary.

How does changing company culture begin?

Deciding to change or adjust your culture is a decision for leaders and managers to make. The critical step is making sure changes are in line with the other facets of your culture, and the changes fit your brand.

Remember, you are changing yourself externally as well as internally. If you change your culture it has to still work with your company’s marketplace.

You Must Have This To See Real Change

What you don’t need to change company culture is a work order. Changing a culture isn’t something that comes from newsletters, bulletins, or written policy changes. Like everything else in business, meaningful change comes from the top.

Leaders have to be behind the change in the culture, and they have to model the behavior they want to see.

This is why you must have 100% buy-in from your top and mid-level management.

Real change never comes from the bottom or the middle. It only comes from the top.

At Dr. Reddy’s, the change began at the top, and the primary stakeholders supported the management’s plan.

Yes, You Need A Plan

Don’t make the mistake of thinking cultural change doesn’t require a plan. You need a long-term strategy with well-developed goals and KPIs.

Yes, the support from leadership and employees needs to be genuine and real. However, that doesn’t mean the change will spontaneously occur. It also doesn’t say there won’t be resistance.

There is always resistance to change.

You will need to schedule meetings and produce literature explaining the new culture and why it was developed. People want to know why they are doing something before they are doing it. Be prepared for questions and objections, and remain persistent.

Real change, supported by leadership and employees, is the goal of Equal Parts Consulting. We want our clients to reach their full potential with minimal disruption to their operations and full support of their staff.

If you are considering a change to your mission statement, values, culture, or the way you do business, we encourage you to contact us.