We were recently asked by a leadership group, “How long should we realistically expect cultural change to take?”. And it’s a great question.
One of the challenges of improving workplace wellbeing is that much of the deep work (reducing workloads, boosting leadership capability, enhancing autonomy etc) takes time. It really does. It’s certainly not quick-fix work, particularly when we’re asking people to change behaviors and attitudes and even belief systems and values in some areas.
And yet, it’s the work that will make arguably the most difference to a person’s wellbeing.
Plus humans are fickle things. We’d like to believe change is linear and tidy, but it’s really not. It’s like trying to untangle a ball of wool. There are ups and downs and steps forward and back. Organisations are complex things. On top of that, people are tired. They have less of an ability to stretch and grow right now.
It’s worth remembering the phrase ‘good things take time, great things take a little longer’. Cultural change takes years. Persistence over the years. Consistency over years. And it’s that sustained effort that will slowly but surely move the dial.
There’s a school of thought that advocates for nurturing a movement over a mandate for change, recognising that a movement is about encouraging and supporting people to take action (i.e. in this case doing wellbeing with people rather than to people). It’s about walking alongside people and nudging them on the journey. And literally, taking one proactive step at a time.
So on that note, we want to acknowledge and recognise the work you’re doing. Honestly, every bit makes a difference.
