Beyond quick fixes: Embracing human complexity for lasting culture change
Transforming organisational culture is never easy. We often define the culture we want, introduce new tools, platforms or guidelines, and then expect that they will automatically lead to a new way of working. A few months later, we find that the change we envisioned doesn’t take hold.
I’ve seen this challenge countless times in organisations of all sizes across many different industries. While the reasons are more involved and varied to cover in a short article, there are three key traps most of my clients fall into: oversimplification, the illusion of control, and ignoring the individual.
Embrace complexity
When faced with change, many of us are trained to look for quick wins and simple steps — however, I’ve found that this approach rarely works when dealing with culture.
Culture is inherently complex, as it is dealing with the kaleidoscope of human beings, and being shaped by many things that aren’t always visible at first glance. Rushing to simplify can lead to surface-level solutions that don’t address deeper issues.
Implementing new processes might seem like the answer, but without understanding the broader dynamics at play, these actions won’t create the change we’re hoping for. I’ve learned that by zooming out and taking a systems approach — looking at how various factors interact and influence each other — we can identify the key levers that will drive meaningful cultural shifts.
Say you want to improve knowledge sharing in your firm, for instance. Some of the real blockers may not be your systems and process, but rather the broader industry norms, practice silos, time constraints, or even the firm’s reward structure. By embracing the complexity, you can be precise and focus on actions that will really make a difference.
Let go of control
Another trap I see is the belief that culture can be controlled from the top down. It’s easy to think that by setting clear expectations and rules, we can shift culture, but in my experience, it doesn’t work that way. Culture is co-created by everyone in the organisation, and it evolves through daily interactions.
Rather than trying to control culture, I focus on curating the environment — this means creating the right conditions for the desired behaviours to emerge naturally. It’s less about mandating specific actions and more about fostering spaces where collaboration, innovation and open dialogue can thrive. By guiding and influencing the environment, we can curate a culture that evolves in alignment with our goals, without forcing it.
Focus on the individual
Finally, it’s easy to overlook the role of individuals in culture change. While it’s tempting to focus on organisation-wide initiatives, real transformation happens when we understand and address the personal motivations and beliefs driving behaviour.
To continue the theme of creating a culture of knowledge sharing, we must first understand the underlying beliefs that shape how lawyers operate. If we don’t address these core convictions, surface-level actions won’t lead to meaningful change.
For example, many lawyers believe that their specialized knowledge sets them apart, and sharing it could diminish their competitive edge. Until we challenge this belief and show how knowledge sharing can actually enhance their reputation and efficiency, the behaviour won’t shift. By starting with beliefs, we can encourage lasting attitude changes that foster a more collaborative and knowledge-sharing culture.
All in all, culture change is a journey, not a one-time event. By embracing complexity, letting go of control, and focusing on individual motivations, we can create lasting cultural transformation. It requires patience, curiosity and a willingness to adapt, but the results are worth it.
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