Grupo Freixenet

Cristina Garcia Brunet

In a strategy that sets a formal logic to accomplish business goals, consumers are “the main reason to be” and people our main asset that will help us enhance a long-term sustainable relation with the first two.

Even though every business and company are unique, culture transformation is a key common element to boost a continuous improvement “DNA” that ensures excellence and success.

Culture sets goals through shared values and beliefs and gives guidelines to the activity, defining group norms among others. Once aligned with strategy and leadership, a strong and healthy culture drives positive organizational outcomes.

1.Empowerment vs. challenge to leadership

Who thinks that culture transformation is something leaders should lead is WRONG!

Culture goes much deeper and applies at all levels of the organization, gaining a much wider scope. For example, at the Freixenet Group we are developing a culture project led by employees from different departments and responsibility levels. They have been called “Culture Champions”, since they will be in charge of transmitting our values to all their colleagues in the company, collect initiatives and developing an action plan to implement them.

Change happens when people “take action”. So... YES! Empower your people.

People must lead the process by making leaders “sponsors” of the cultural transformation process by promoting actively listening, providing safe paths to share new ideas and embracing the results.

When it comes to authority (hierarchical organizations), no resistance or little friction means that no change is actually happening. Being able to move leaders out of their comfort zone and putting them on a humble and self-critical position is a healthy way to engage them and speed up the desired changes. This also means that leadership must embrace fail as a learning that will make us grow in the near future.

2.Global, inclusive and dynamic

When it comes to talent acquisition, we are more likely to select people that “fit-in”, since culture change lives in the collective beliefs and habits and their common perception of “how things are usually done here”.

“Even though every business and company is unique, culture transformation is a key common element to boost a continuous improvement “DNA” that ensures excellence and success.”

Creating diverse and inclusive culture teams that can share opportunities, threats and challenges and can deal with them from different perspectives will boost the impact of the culture transformation deployment.

Do not forget to let technology be your greatest ally to speed up connections within culture team members and why not, creating a global network if the organization has different affiliates.

3.Learning heaven in a VUCA environment

Culture transformation is a nonstop learning process for all of us. Therefore, the process itself should have green comfort learning zones.

Remember that learning does not only come from “training”. “On the job learning” is very powerful. Create best practice exchanges, workshops and, if you are planning to recruit internal culture ambassadors, train and provide them agile tools for an effective deployment.

This will enrich the efficiency, employability and engagement of your organization now that we are facing a BANI socioeconomic context (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible).

4.Quick wins vs. Deep wins

Engagement usually comes from personal and professional development, but it multiplies when we see that our actions have a positive impact in the organization.

Imagine then, how powerful quick wins can be. When celebrating quick wins, we are giving credibility to the transformation process. That will result in “extra oxygen” to turn resistance into opportunities.

Do not forget deep wins, which are those that will provide you effectiveness in a long-term plan.

5.Governance and monitoring

When putting trust in the center of our relations, culture teams must be empowered to create their own governance. However, they will need guidance from top management.

The creation of Culture Committees is a good way to monitor and ensure that all goals are accomplished, as our experience in the Freixenet Group has shown. It also creates a safe zone for everyone involved to define OKRs that will ensure that specific monitoring is also done for each implanted action (quick or deep wins).

Trust in your people and you will discover how powerful is to watch them shine!