How to change workplace culture
Culture change is one of the most powerful yet complex transformations an organisation can undertake. It involves shifting shared behaviours, beliefs, and ways of working so that the culture truly supports the organisation's purpose, people, and goals. Whether you’re addressing deep-rooted issues or evolving your culture to meet future needs, success depends on clarity, commitment, and consistency. This step-by-step guide walks you through how to change workplace culture in a meaningful and lasting way.
Steps to change workplace culture
Changing culture is not a linear process, but it helps to have a clear roadmap. Here are the core steps most successful culture change initiatives follow:
Assess the current culture
Start with honest reflection. Use surveys, listening sessions, focus groups, and one-to-one conversations to understand how people experience the culture today. Look for alignment and disconnect between your values, behaviours, and systems.Define the desired culture
Clarify what good looks like. What are the values, behaviours, and norms you want to see more of? Make this definition specific and grounded in your organisation’s purpose and strategy.Engage stakeholders at all levels
Involve leaders, managers, employee groups, and networks in shaping the vision. Co-creation builds buy-in and helps surface barriers early on.Team dynamics – How people collaborate, give feedback, and solve problemsAlign structures and systems
Review policies, leadership practices, communication norms, and reward systems. Ensure they reinforce the new culture rather than undermine it.Model and embed behaviours
Leaders and managers must walk the talk. Provide support and training so they can role model and reinforce the desired culture in everyday actions.Communicate consistently and transparently
Share the why, the how, and the progress. Use stories, metrics, and multiple channels to keep the momentum going.Track progress and adapt
Culture is dynamic. Monitor regularly, listen to feedback, and be ready to course-correct where needed. Celebrate wins along the way.
How long does it take to change workplace culture?
Culture change takes time. While visible shifts can begin within months, meaningful and sustained change often takes 18 to 36 months or more. The timeline depends on factors like organisational size, leadership commitment, clarity of purpose, and how deeply the old culture is embedded.
That said, you don’t need to wait years to see results. With the right focus and follow-through, you can begin to see improved behaviours, engagement, and alignment early in the process. The key is to keep going even when the change feels slow or uncomfortable.
Who is responsible for workplace culture?
Everyone plays a role in shaping workplace culture, but responsibility must be clear and shared.
Leaders set the tone and direction. Their actions carry the most influence.
Managers reinforce culture daily through feedback, decision-making, and team dynamics.
HR and culture teams provide the frameworks, insights, and support needed for change.
Employees live the culture and offer valuable insight into what is working and what is not.
A successful culture change initiative invites contributions from across the organisation while ensuring leaders are visibly committed and accountable.
How to create a positive culture in the workplace
Creating a positive culture means intentionally building an environment where people feel safe, valued, and empowered to do their best work. It involves embedding behaviours like trust, empathy, inclusion, and collaboration into everyday interactions.
You can build a more positive culture by recognising effort and progress, supporting wellbeing, encouraging open communication, and creating psychological safety. A positive culture does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. It means approaching them with respect, fairness, and a shared desire to improve.
Overcoming resistance to culture change
Resistance is a natural part of any change process. It often stems from fear, uncertainty, or past experiences of change that were poorly managed.
To address resistance, start by listening. Understand the concerns and acknowledge them without judgement. Be clear about what is changing and why. Provide support and training, especially for managers who are key to influencing how the change is experienced.
Most importantly, be patient. Resistance often fades when people feel heard, supported, and included in the journey.
Communication strategies for change
Clear, consistent, and authentic communication is critical to the success of any culture change effort. People need to understand the vision, the reasons for change, and their role in making it happen.
Sharing stories that bring the new culture to life
Using multiple channels to reach different groups and creating regular opportunities for dialogue and feedback
Ensuring leaders and managers are equipped to communicate the message
Being transparent about progress and setbacks
Measuring progress in culture change
Measurement helps keep culture change on track. While culture can feel intangible, there are many ways to measure shifts in behaviour, sentiment, and impact.
Look at both quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as:
Employee engagement and inclusion survey results
Turnover and absenteeism trends
Feedback from pulse surveys or listening sessions
Uptake of culture-related initiatives
Observation of behaviours in meetings, decisions, and day-to-day work
Use these insights to celebrate success, identify gaps, and adjust your approach. Culture change is a journey, and regular measurement helps you stay on course.
Case studies of successful culture change
Organisations across industries have transformed their cultures with lasting success. Here are two examples:
A multinational company moved from a top-down, hierarchical structure to a culture of shared leadership and innovation. They did this by involving employees in co-creating values, redesigning performance management, and investing heavily in leadership development.
A professional services firm recognised that its culture was driving burnout and exclusion. By focusing on wellbeing, flexible working, and inclusive behaviours, they shifted team dynamics and improved retention, particularly among women and underrepresented groups.
These examples show that while culture change is challenging, it is possible with vision, commitment, and a people-centred approach.
Final thoughts
Changing workplace culture is one of the most meaningful things an organisation can do. It requires courage, clarity, and collective effort. When done well, it unlocks energy, improves wellbeing, and strengthens alignment between purpose and practice. Culture change is not a project. It is a journey that shapes everything that follows.
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