Thomas Industrial Library

5.7 How Role Models Can Change a Culture

Role models are a critical part of an organization’s culture for several reasons. First, people need examples of how the organization expects them to behave in their jobs and within the larger context of the organization. Second, people want to see what success looks like so that they can model their behavior and achieve success in their own careers. Third, people also want to see the “good – bad examples” which depict clearly what the organization does not want to see in its employees. The first two reasons are positive and the third negative, but each has its place in the value of role models in the business

Roles models are needed because they are an essential and initial step in the change process. Figure 5-5 shows how role models fit and interact to help support cultural change. In this quad diagram, role models are portrayed on the y-axis as either reactive or proactive. The x-axis shows the organization’s cultural behavior, also reactive or proactive. Note that role models can and do work in both roles at different times, dependent on the status of the change initiative. The line starting in block 1 and running through blocks 3, block 2 and ending in block 4 shows how role models introduce and bring about change in a company.

Block 1 represents the current condition or baseline that is encountered when a role model is brought into a company. Usually the existing role models have a reactive focus and, as a result, so does the culture.

Invariably the new role models recognize that change is needed; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been hired in the first place. They next progress to block 3 (a proactive role model in a reactive culture) where they implement a change that supports their new model for doing work.

Initially a single initiative is all that is needed. We are not trying to “build Rome in one day.” We are, however, trying to initiate long-lasting change and that must start slowly. For example, role models may mandate that a preventive maintenance program be established and not permit deviation from the schedule. Through their own behavior and through setting expectations for the organization, the role models provide guidance in how they expect work to be conducted. They do not pull the PM crews for reactive work, no matter what is happening in the plant. Furthermore, they praise those who have done the PM more then those who fight the fires.

Next we move into block 2 (a reactive role model in a new proactive culture). The culture is beginning to shift and become more proactive. At this time, however, the role models need to switch into a reactive mode and rapidly address those areas that are having difficulty. Small groups within the organization will not understand or act as expected, people will resist, and training will be required. Each one of these areas needs corrective action in a reactive manner if long-lasting success is to be the result.

Last, in block 4,because they have initiated a successful change in the organization, the role models can begin to introduce additional goals that support the new vision that they are trying to implement.

Following this path is not easy and takes concentrated efforts on the part of the role models. Remember that the organization is looking for examples that the role models are not serious so that it can return to the status quo and the existing personal comfort zones. See how long the new initiatives and role models will be in place if the PM crew is reassigned to reactive work even once.

Role models set the stage for everyone else; they clearly demonstrate every day what is expected of the organization. As an example, let us consider two reactions to a pump failure which has a severe effect on production. As you read each of these responses, think about the role that is being modeled by the manager.

Response #1 – The manager shows anger and frustration, and then asks how soon the equipment will be returned to service. The manager indicates that sooner is not soon enough and insists the equipment be worked on around the clock until the repair is complete.

Response #2 – The manager shows frustration, but then asks those involved to get the work completed as soon as possible with one exception. The manager wants the maintenance engineer to understand the mechanism of failure so that repairs can be made to prevent the failure from reoccurring. If this can not be accomplished during this repair, then a plan needs to be put in place to make the reliability-based repair at a future date when production can shutdown the equipment.

5.8 Can Consultants Be Role Models?

Consultants can be role models, but only in a limited sense. Part of what consultants bring to the process is strategic thinking unencumbered by the day-to-day activities. They can introduce new concepts that will support the company’s vision and goals. They have a broad set of experiences that can add real value. They can also provide the training and coaching necessary to help get a major change initiative off of the ground.

During a consultant’s engagement, in which they introduce proactive reliability-based maintenance processes, the consultants often take on the mantel of role model. One key reason for this is that they are the ones introducing the new model in a firm in which that model most likely does not yet exist. Therefore, it is no wonder that people emulate consultants. This is acceptable for the short term. However, consultants eventually finish their work and leave. Prior to this happening, company role models must be in place and be viewed by the organization as such. Otherwise the time, effort, and opportunity that the consultants provide will be lost simply because the company will not have role models in place to take up where the consultants left off. Without this internal role model, the organization will fill the void which the consultants leave by returning to the status quo. That is not what we want to happen.

I worked on one project that clearly shows what happens when a consultant / role model leaves and there is no one internally to fill the void. The effort involved the implementation of a new planning and scheduling process. The consultant we hired had a great deal of process change experience in this area and as a result drove the change. Initially the effort was successful because the role model for the process, the consultant, was there day-today helping us overcome the problems. We did not develop an internal role model to be his successor and when he left the program stopped. Quickly the organization reverted back to the former way of conducting this part of the work process.

The lesson to be learned is that you can have a consultant be your process change role model. However, you must develop internal resources to take the effort over when they leave. In fact, you should plan to take over before they leave so that in the closing days of their engagement they can provide coaching to the internal resources.