The only universal truth in life may very well be that "change is the only constant." Everything evolves--including the way successful companies operate. Some change of company culture becomes necessary due to alterations in the marketplace. Others are necessary to seize new opportunities. Still other company culture changes happen when management realizes that the existing culture has become toxic or unproductive. As they say in recovery circles, the first step is admitting you need to change. Business managers and owners alike must stay alert for the telltale signs that their culture might need a tune-up.
Your company has a mission statement--an expression of its goals and how you will reach them. If a large part of your day, or your employees' efforts, go toward projects that don't address your mission, a change of company culture may be called for.
If you ever feel your staff has lied to you--or, worse, felt the need to lie to staff to get things done--your business culture definitely needs addressing. It's vital that your employees feel they can trust you with the truth, and that they can see how what you ask of them matches the company culture you've set.
Watch how your management acts. If their decisions are out of sync with the company's stated values, or if they expect behavior from their subordinates that they're unwilling to demonstrate themselves, you may have a business culture of entitlement on your hands. This ruins productivity and creates deep feelings of resentment.
Every successful manager or business owner keeps one eye on the competition at all times. If your competition makes a change of culture, values or mission statement, find out why. While you should never compromise your personal values for business, their changes may be a warning of new trends in your industry. If you miss the signs, you could be left scrambling.
Stay connected to what's going on in your industry by reading the trade magazines and organizations; a business culture that worked five years ago might be a liability moving forward. As with competitor changes, this is never a reason to compromise your personal ideals. You can, however, make positive changes that will keep you competitive within your industry. If the industry changes so much that you can't keep up without compromising your values, consider selling your operation to somebody with different ideals.