Setting the Perfect Pace of Culture Change

Time. Arguably a company’s most valuable resource. Yet, what we seldom acknowledge about time, is its relativity; and within this relativism, the subjective nature of time. Conducting a simple analysis of a company’s approach to, and use of, time is a powerful instrument in maximizing its progress towards complete and effective transformation.

In our experience, people rarely describe their organisation’s use of time as efficient or effectual. In fact, most commonly, we hear the opposite; of how companies waste time, be it with pointless meetings, outdated processes and systems, or by operating in silos.

What few people realise, however, is that there is a more insidious problem associated with the waste of time than the loss of productivity.

The problem lies in the accumulative effect wasted time has on employees’ psyches, and which manifests in different ways, as lethargy, boredom and demotivation.

Were we to see these manifestations collectively, from the perspective of the organisational consciousness, we would quickly realise how debilitating time is, when used poorly.

Internationally-recognised thought leader on cultural evolution in business, Richard Barrett, describes this collective phenomenon as ‘cultural entropy’, and the ‘cultural entropy® score’ as, “the amount of energy consumed in doing unproductive or unnecessary work.”

Barrett’s work with regard to entropy and the entropy score is hugely important, for it helps us to put time into its rightful context; as a relative concept. Now, being able to measure energy in the workplace – as an indicator of time being used either positively or negatively – shows us that time, in itself, is not fixed.

More powerfully, it demonstrates that our approach to, and use of, time can change.

For organisations trapped in a wasteful time paradigm, this point marks, not only a moment of liberation, but also, of finding a path towards a new paradigm – of productive work, and purpose-filled employees.

Of course, the benefit of working with an external change consultant is that, simply by virtue of their being on the outside, means they are better positioned to view the organisational experience of time, objectively.

The value of this perspective is crucial. Because every organisation has a subjective relationship with time. It operates within a time frame of its own making; essentially, marching to the beat of its own drum.

So, with the benefit of objectivity, an external change consultant can see where an organisation is stuck in a time trap. They can also recognise and identify the nature of the trap.

These insights represent the first steps away from company-limiting time, towards a new-found logic around time that is highly functional and performance driven.

Just as a runner, looking to improve her performance, learns to modify her cadence, so too companies can learn to change the pace, rhythm and tempo at which they work.

We have recommended different initiatives to help companies find, and march, to a new beat. In one company, it meant limiting the frequency of meetings. For another, it was switching to ‘Slack’, a real-time, digital collaboration tool for teams. For a third, it involved incorporating silence into brainstorms. In a new, word-free space, people were simply given time to think.

In all three instances, the feedback we received was the same. Things were changing. For the better.