To Change Company Norms, Get Other Leaders’ Support

When you become a manager, it’s likely that your team already has norms in place.

You may notice bad practices that need correcting right away, such as using work hours for personal projects or neglecting customers during too-long lunch breaks.

Before you implement a new policy, however, determine whether leaders in the organization ignore the poor behavior.

It will be tough to get your team to change if they know employees on other teams are getting away with it.

So if some leaders condone the behavior, your first step is to convince them a change is necessary.

Start by collecting information about the problem:

• What is this behavior costing the organization?

• How often does it occur?

• Does it damage customer service or another area of the business?

Present your colleagues with data that makes a compelling business case. And structure your argument around business outcomes, not a moral appeal.

You need your boss and fellow managers on your side before you can address a long-tolerated issue with your employees.

Adapted from “What to Do When You Inherit a Team That Isn’t Working Hard Enough,” by Joseph Grenny