Building a sustainable change culture: Leveraging support teams for lasting transformation

Change management is often framed in the context of the next upcoming project, but the key to success lies in sustaining change beyond individual initiatives. Establishing a culture that consistently supports and embraces change is essential for achieving lasting transformation and securing ongoing support for future changes. By harnessing the expertise and support of various internal teams, organizations can build a robust foundation that not only facilitates immediate change but also creates a sustainable change-positive culture throughout the organization.

The problem with change culture

Let’s begin by disassociating change within projects. Despite decades of efforts by change practitioners to integrate change management into every project, the process has not necessarily become easier. 

Consider this scenario: a project is funded, including change management, and it is successfully kicked off and goes live as planned. This creates a playbook for future projects, incorporating a change management component. Meanwhile, another project is funded, including change management, and it is also successful. This appears to be a straightforward change management success story.

Now, let’s step back. Sponsor A funded and successfully executed Project A, just as Sponsor B did with their project, and Sponsors C, D and E will likely do with their projects. So why does each project have to start from scratch? 

In technology deployments, we build upon existing systems, upgrading and improving them. However, in change management, we are using the same steps and tools repeatedly. We apply lessons learned but still have to relearn our stakeholders, make them aware, and train them. Shouldn’t there be a return on the investment Sponsor A made in change management so that Sponsor B can benefit from making everyone’s change journey easier? 

Adopting change culture as an overarching program

When we evaluate investment on a project-by-project basis, we miss the opportunity to build on the human factor. We are capable of not just learning systems and processes but also learning behaviors, including adopting a culture of change itself. 

Instead of viewing change management as a component of individual projects, it should be established as an overarching program to be engrained in how we operate. When a culture is change-positive, projects face less resistance and more support for innovation. This allows us to look forward to the next change rather than clinging to our current state.

Building a positive change culture does not happen instantly. It is not just about understanding it; we must immerse ourselves in it, witnessing its gradual integration with minimal risk. Positive change operates on the principles of muscle memory, where past experiences shape our responses, coupled with the expectation of consistent service and support, both during and beyond change. It is about establishing a sense of reliability and trust that what we require will always be available, regardless of whether we anticipate a project change. You do not need to wait for your next project to begin conditioning for change.

The importance of support teams in creating sustainable change

How do we create this positive, sustainable change culture that everyone can enjoy? There are several teams that contribute to the day-to-day life - support desks, facilities and security, to name a few.

These support teams may or may not have a direct connection to a project involving change, but they are the teams we interact with daily, sometimes without knowing it, and who create, build and sustain the work culture we live in.

These teams set the tone and expectations and model the behaviors needed for a positive change culture. These individuals champion positive change culture through their behavior and their actions.

IT support desks

Support desks play a crucial role in fostering and sustaining an organization's culture of change. They are often the first point of contact for end users when encountering issues with existing hardware, software, or other support needs. The experience provided by the support desk can significantly influence how end users perceive the organization’s approach to change and problem-solving.

When IT support desks deliver excellent service, they build trust and confidence among end users. This positive experience encourages users to reach out whenever they need assistance, knowing that their interactions will be pleasant and their issues will be resolved efficiently. On the other hand, if the support experience is frustrating or prolonged, it can create a negative perception of the organization’s support infrastructure and overall culture.

In essence, IT support desks are not just technical support providers but ambassadors of the organization’s change culture. A well-functioning support desk can enhance the overall change culture by demonstrating the organization’s commitment to providing reliable and responsive support. This, in turn, helps to build a more resilient and adaptable workforce that is comfortable navigating changes and challenges.

Facilities management teams

Facilities management plays a vital role in sustaining a culture of change within an organization. They are responsible for creating and maintaining the physical environment where employees work, significantly influencing the overall workplace experience and culture. By designing and managing spaces that are comfortable, functional and adaptable, facilities teams help set the tone for how employees feel and interact within their work environment.

A well-managed facility ensures that the workspace is conducive to productivity and well-being. Everything from the furniture layout and the availability of ergonomic seating to the lighting and temperature control contributes to the experience you have in a space. When facilities are well maintained and responsive to the needs of employees, it creates a sense of comfort and security, making it easier for employees to focus on their work and adapt to new processes or organizational changes. 

Moreover, facilities teams are often the first point of contact when organizing meetings, conferences, or other events. They coordinate the setup and ensure the necessary resources are available, creating a seamless experience for all participants. By efficiently managing these logistical details, they help set the stage for productive and successful gatherings, reinforcing a culture of preparedness and professionalism.

Facilities management is more than just maintaining the physical space; it is about creating an environment that supports the organization’s goals and culture. By providing a well-designed, comfortable, and adaptable workspace, facilities teams play a critical role in fostering a positive and flexible work culture that can efficiently navigate and sustain change.

Security teams

As employees, we interact with security teams daily, whether it's through accessing the building, verifying credentials, or coordinating visitor management. For project managers, the relationship with security teams extends further, as they often need to facilitate interactions between security and other internal teams such as IT and facilities. While expecting and anticipating these interactions is important, the key to fostering a positive change culture is creating long-standing relationships where teams are willing and excited to collaborate.

The relationship between security and IT teams is often behind the scenes but vital to a project's success. Project collaboration becomes seamless when security and IT teams have established long-standing relationships. This pre-existing trust and understanding eliminates the need to build rapport from scratch each time, saving valuable time and resources. It ensures that projects can proceed smoothly, with both teams working in sync to address any issues.

Change conditioning goes beyond the office

The impact of change conditioning stretches beyond the office, with the best examples coming from retail. The internal synergy between teams and how employees interact with these teams mirrors how retail stores condition change culture in customers by providing consistent, positive experiences, making them more receptive to new products and services. Just as a well-run retail environment encourages customer loyalty and openness to new offerings, an efficiently managed corporate environment encourages employees to embrace innovation and adapt to organizational changes.

Change conditioning lessons from retail

Retail stores have already mastered change culture. One way they achieve this is by frequently rearranging products on the sales floor. They might not always introduce new items, but altering the layout, displays and presentation of existing products provides a fresh perspective and creates the illusion of novelty. This simple yet consistent change becomes expected and even eagerly anticipated by customers.

The first time a customer encounters a product move, it can be unsettling because they might struggle to find familiar items. Having a strong presence on the sales floor, with staff greeting and assisting customers, can help ease this transition. The second time, customers might think, “Oh, here we go again,” but they will expect to find knowledgeable associates ready to help. By the third time, customers will likely feel more comfortable and empowered to explore on their own, discovering unexpected treasures and enjoying the shopping experience. When customers become aware of and anticipate change, it becomes a natural part of their shopping experience, and they start to develop their own “what’s-in-it-for-me” mindset. The same is true of support teams.

When we enter the office for a high-level meeting, we should confidently expect the facilities team to handle conference space arrangements flawlessly. Once we have established a baseline of trust in their reliability, facilities can enhance the experience with changes like streamlining room booking processes or offering an unexpected twist to the lunch menu without fear. Our IT support teams also serve as one of our prominent sales floor associate teams. They are the individuals we engage with and rely on daily, either eagerly anticipating their assistance or dreading it. They play a pivotal role in guiding us through technical hurdles critical to our work, much like sales associates help prevent shopping frustration.

Achieving a sustainable change culture from the sales floor to headquarters

We cannot simply rearrange office furniture in spaces that colleagues rarely use anymore (that’s a blog for another time). Instead, we need to update change management best practices to include leveraging the support teams already in place and those operating in the background to support our daily routines. 

Fostering a change-positive culture is more than just adapting to a constant flow of changes from various projects. In fact, change management practices recognize that even positive experiences can lead to change saturation, which can become a barrier. Building a successful, sustainable change culture requires consistent execution, exceptional service and ongoing positive experiences, whether or not changes occur. 
By building trust and reliability first, we can anticipate and even be pleasantly surprised by these small yet impactful changes. Positive experiences with them are one of the first steps to laying the groundwork and opening doors to a sustainable change culture. Consistent change fosters sustainability, eventually ingraining it as a default mindset. This gradual shift transforms “change” into “innovation” in our lexicon.

Building lasting change through relationships and culture

Sustaining change, whether project-specific or aimed at building a foundational change culture, hinges on maintaining strong relationships. When two projects lack consistency in their relationships, they must both start from square one to address change management effectively. However, when project stakeholders have established connections with the underlying teams supporting them and share a unified perspective on change culture, it creates a robust springboard for all change activities.

In essence, the key to sustainable change lies beyond the strength of the relationship between project teams and their stakeholders, but between the stakeholders and the support teams and between internal support teams who have been there before the project began and who will be there long after go-live. With a solid foundation of trust and a shared outlook on change, organizations can create an environment where change is manageable within projects and a driving force for continuous improvement and innovation. Creating a change-positive culture in advance, utilizing teams already in place, establishes consistent expectations and prepares stakeholders and end users to embrace change confidently and without fear. 

Learn more about how our organizational change management experts can help you achieve a positive change culture.