Culture Change

In my daily work inside the cultures of numerous African organisations, I discover common truths. One of these is how hard it is to onboard new hires quickly and effectively. Speed is essential because, after the first thirty days, a new joiner has heard so many varied opinions from colleagues and bosses that the opportunity has been lost. Effectiveness can best be judged by how quickly a new person becomes productive.

In the evolving dynamics of the modern workplace, the integration of Generation Z into professional environments has sparked much-needed conversations about how organisations conduct business meetings. As I coach organisational culture change, I see that while younger employees add fresh energy and ideas to discussions, they are unsure of how to behave in a meeting and less likely to run a productive one.

Many of us who have had breakfast in hotels are familiar with a device known as a conveyor toaster. Wherever bread is served, there’s usually one of these standing by, ready to toast bread slices to a soft golden hue in a nonstop sequence to the delight of sleepy guests. Except it never does. For me it provides a valuable analogy for the approach to organisational culture that prevails in many businesses.

Boeing has announced a US$6.2 billion quarterly loss, arguably one of the few warning signs a traditional American corporation cannot ignore. But, in truth, other signs have been there for a long time if they only cared to consider them. Kelly Ortberg, who took over as CEO in August, has called for a fundamental culture change at Boeing: "We need to identify, understand, and fix the root causes".

Diversity is quite the buzzword. In budget season 2025, meaningful business plans will require attention to the topic. There is value in diversity beyond ensuring that gender, ethnicity, different ability, or even sexual orientation quotas feature in the Human Resource strategy. There is a clear business justification that makes diversity and inclusion of different opinions essential. Two justifications, in fact.

When a hotel delivers an outstanding guest experience it’s often a measure of how well the best aspects of organisational culture and national culture have been fused. I recently encountered an excellent example of this happening in the new Hyatt Regency in Nairobi’s Westlands district. What sets Hyatt Regency apart is the genuine intent of staff to welcome and care for guests. Staff were happy, solicitous and proactive.