Cultural Competence In Change Management Initiatives

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼: ▪️Focus on external outcomes (market expansion, revenue growth, operational scaling) ▪️Deliver strategic blueprints without customizing to the internal cultural context ▪️Prioritize speed, metrics, and deliverables over behavioral readiness ▪️Underinvest in middle management adoption, trust-building, and communication dynamics ▪️Treat resistance as a people problem, not a systemic indicator 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲: 📉 ▪️70% of change initiatives fail, often due to cultural resistance and employee disengagement (McKinsey & Company) ▪️Only 12% of companies achieve sustained growth from strategy consulting alone (Bain & Company) ▪️Only 30% of transformations succeed long term, and those that fail do so because they ignore people, behaviors, and systems (Kotter International) ▪️Only 20% of employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them (Gallup) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗗 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆): 💡 1️⃣ 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: OD doesn’t treat culture as background noise; it sees it as the operating system. ▪️OD conducts culture audits and readiness assessments before executing change ▪️OD aligns proposed strategies with actual organizational values, behaviors, and history ▪️OD works to uncover the unspoken norms that sabotage good plans ▪️OD ensures the culture is ready before the change begins 2️⃣ 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: OD aligns structure, strategy, behavior, and purpose so that everyone rows in the same direction. ▪️OD adjusts performance management systems to reflect new priorities ▪️OD redesigns incentives, roles, and decision rights to support strategy ▪️OD avoids siloed implementation by integrating cross-functional feedback ▪️Growth consulting delivers what; OD delivers how, who, when, and why it sticks 3️⃣ 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰: OD measures success by what changes in the system. ▪️OD builds leadership capacity for modeling new behaviors ▪️OD shifts team norms and interpersonal dynamics ▪️OD reinforces new habits through learning, coaching, and feedback loops 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲: OD practitioners build trust by: ▪️Engaging stakeholders at every level ▪️Creating safe forums for resistance and feedback ▪️Building co-ownership of outcomes instead of buy-in 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: Growth consultants can deliver compelling plans, but without OD, those plans often wither on the vine. OD is the bridge that turns strategy into sustainable impact by enabling strategy to take root. #OD #OrganizationalDevelopment #HR #HumanResources #GotOD #Growth #GrowthConsulting #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership Organization Development Network The Management Sherpa™

🔥 “I Did Everything Right… So Why Is My Global Team Struggling?” You shared the project plan. Everyone speaks fluent English. The timeline’s clear. But your team still feels…off. Deadlines are slipping. Feedback feels flat. You’re rethinking every message, every meeting. 🧠 Here’s the truth: Miscommunication isn't always about language—it's about meaning. And global leaders who miss that… lose trust, time, and talent. To lead across cultures with clarity, you must understand the following: 1️⃣ Cultural Competence Is a Core Leadership Skill It’s not “extra.” It’s essential. Leading across cultures demands more than project plans—it requires the ability to understand what motivates, offends, or connects with people from different backgrounds. 📌 Start treating cultural competence like emotional intelligence: build it, practice it, and lead with it. 2️⃣ Miscommunication Is About Meaning, Not Fluency It’s not just what you say—it’s how it’s heard. Someone nodding may not mean agreement. Delays in follow-up may not be a sign of laziness—but rather a symptom of confusion or a cultural hierarchy. 📌 Create space for clarification. Normalize asking, “What does this mean in your context?” or “What’s the usual way this is handled where you are?” 3️⃣ Good Intentions ≠ Inclusive Impact 🧠 Caring is not enough. You may value inclusion—but without tools to spot blind spots, your team may still feel left out or misunderstood. 📌 Invest in reflection, feedback, and ongoing learning. Inclusion is a practice, not a personality trait. 💡 When you shift your mindset, you shift your results. 👉 Ready to Go Deeper? If this resonates with you and you're ready to lead your global team with more clarity and less miscommunication, I'd love to chat. Book your FREE Cultural Clarity Call — a short, no-pressure conversation to uncover the hidden cultural dynamics quietly limiting your team's performance. #MasteringCulturalDifferences #GlobalLeadership #CulturalCompetence #InterculturalCommunication #LeadershipDevelopment 

Today we're tackling the million dollar question. We all know that developing our cultural intelligence (CQ) is important. In my earlier posts I established that CQ is linked the success of orgs and individuals, which begs the question: How do we integrate CQ into our programs and culture for the most impact? Here's the bullet point answer: ✅ Embed CQ in leadership training – Move beyond “check-the-box” cultural awareness modules. Tie CQ to decision-making, conflict resolution, and performance management so leaders model it daily. ✅ Design experiential learning – Role plays, case studies, and simulations help employees practice CQ skills instead of just hearing about them. ✅ Measure what matters – Track CQ through engagement surveys, peer feedback, and retention data across diverse groups. Then connect the dots between higher CQ and business outcomes. ✅ Link to career paths – Make CQ competency part of promotion criteria and succession planning. If it influences advancement, people will prioritize it. ✅ Close the loop – Celebrate wins and share stories where CQ improved collaboration, innovation, or client relationships. Nothing reinforces learning like real-world proof. What does it look like in practice? Unilever has woven Cultural Intelligence into its global leadership fabric through programs that anchor CQ within onboarding, leadership training, and talent progression. Early-career participants in initiatives like the Unilever Future Leaders Programme (UFLP) gain exposure to diverse markets and cultures through rotational assignments and mentorship with an emphasis on developing empathy, global perspective, and inclusive leadership skills. For leadership, their workshops, called “Unleash," focus on cultural dimensions such as individualism vs. collectivism and power distance. These sessions are designed to deepen leaders' awareness and to enhance collaborative behaviors. 85% of participants report increases in creativity and cross-team collaboration thanks to these immersive CQ experiences! Unilever’s CQ integration also includes formal governance and accountability structures. Its Inclusive Leaders Programme equips managers with tools to champion equity, psychological safety, and anti-bias behaviors across teams, while a Global Diversity Board steers progress and reviews inclusion metrics quarterly. These programs and other internal initiatives show how Unilever embeds CQ into both the development and the strategic infrastructure that sustains inclusive, high-performance leadership. So what to do? Start small. Pick a goal to start and keep building. Soon you'll see the benefits of a workforce with great CQ. A strength that Unilever states helps them “understand and meet the needs of consumers, identify new commercial opportunities for growth and innovation, and attract, retain and develop the very best global talent.” #CulturalIntelligence #DiversityEquityInclusion #GlobalLeadership #TalentStrategy #OrganizationalCulture