ANTICIPATING (AND ANSWERING) THE CRITICS
“What about inclusion? Doesn’t this create a two-tier culture?” It could—but it doesn’t have to. The key is transparency in how high-impact teams are selected, and clarity that everyone will benefit from improved outcomes.
“Isn’t this risky? What if the initiative fails?” The real risk lies in continuing to burn time, money, and energy on culture programs that try to do everything—and accomplish nothing. Selective transformation lowers risk by concentrating resources and demonstrating proof before scaling.
“How do we sustain it?” Sustainability comes from social proof, not policy. When people see that different behaviors drive real performance, they adapt. Build systems of feedback, recognition, and coaching to keep the fire burning.
Kylie Sayer’s research* into change management found that middle managers actively resist transformation efforts like Business Process Re- engineering when they perceive them as a threat to their power or routine. This resistance isn’t malicious—it’s survival. And it’s why pushing change “from the top” or “across the board” often results in passive compliance rather than meaningful adoption. The result? Culture programs that are too slow, too expensive, and too easily derailed. THE ALTERNATIVE: START WHERE IT MATTERS MOST What if, instead of targeting everyone, we were more intentional and selective? Specifically, the 10–15% of people whose roles, mindsets, and visibility have outsized influence on how things get done—and what gets valued—in your organization. These are the senior leaders
ownership and operational discipline, resulting in a 30% reduction in recordable incidents. The transformation took hold not because everyone changed all at once, but because the right people changed first. Similarly, NextEra Energy chose to spark culture change not through lofty values campaigns, but through performance. By identifying high-performing units and investing in their leadership autonomy and development, they created localized blueprints of success that others across the business aspired to emulate. As one senior leader put it, “We focused on where the heat already was, and poured gasoline on it.” Their approach didn’t require broad mandates. It allowed performance to pull the culture forward— naturally, credibly, and fast.
LEAD LOUD, START SMALL, SCALE FAST
The tension between what needs to change and what’s ready to change isn’t a problem— it’s the pathway. Comprehensive culture programs often stall because they ignore
who set the behavioral tone, sales teams stars who carry your brand promise to clients, and emerging leaders who are ambitious energizers to mobilize people and translate strategy into results. These are also the people whose actions speak louder than slogans. When Shell faced pressure to decarbonize and modernize operations, it didn’t attempt a sweeping, company-wide reset. Instead, it zoomed in on frontline plant supervisors and safety leaders. Those with day-
30 % reduction in recordable incidents after Shell targeted the right people to drive change and power performance.
this tension. But by starting where performance already shines bright, leaders can turn internal belief into external results, fast.
Just as the energy transition demands both bold direction and tactical patience, cultural transformation succeeds when it embraces the unevenness of progress. Identify your catalysts. Back them visibly. Let their
to-day influence over culture on the ground. Through behavior-based coaching, peer accountability, and targeted recognition, Shell shifted mindsets around
impact spark belief in others. Because in energy—and in culture—critical mass changes everything.
*Sayer, K. (2015). Understanding resistance to change: A social exchange perspective. Journal of Organizational Change Management
Issue 3 - Brandpie Energy 33
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator