Article How to Drive Cultural Change for your SP Business

The wind of change is blowing through the world of IT Service Providers. Many SPs trade in their data centres for the flexibility of the cloud to be more equipped for the volatility and complexity of today's business. This transformation means the SP doesn't need to invest any longer in expensive infrastructure but rather in knowledge and people. The employees are the principal capital of a cloud-based SP. Therefore it is vital to create an open culture in which they can thrive and grow. The question is: how are you going to make this change?

Different worlds

Creating a new working culture is an enormous challenge for established SPs who want to migrate to the cloud. They usually come from a risk-averse culture with a strong focus on continuity,  safety, and compliance. A traditional environment where staff works according to strict guidelines and management still has a tight grip on the organization.

A cloud-based SP requires a different approach that focuses less on avoiding risks and more on the people, the customers, and open communication. Such change doesn't just happen by chance; it requires a new mindset, a cultural transformation that changes how people think and act. As Einstein would say: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

How to change the unwritten rules?

Adopting new processes, tools, and techniques is one thing. Transforming your company's culture is another. It is about the unwritten practices and beliefs on the work floor. It is about people's intrinsic motivation and the implicit values they share. Because all these rules are not clearly defined, it is a big challenge to migrate from a top-down risk-driven organizational model to a more agile approach.

Where to start?

As long as your employees are convinced it is better to strictly follow the rules without asking questions, they will be hesitant to show initiative and share knowledge. How can you establish an open culture of learning, collaboration, and entrepreneurship in such an environment? Hanging posters in the canteen urging people to become more pro-active, positive, collaborative, or engaged won't do the trick. Video games, hammocks, and good coffee are great perks but won't change the mindset of your people. To change the organizational culture, you first have to develop a shared vision throughout the organization about the common purpose of your business and how to achieve it. Explain to your employees what cultural change you want to achieve, why and how. Then start to make it happen. 

Let’s make it work!

Cultural change is serious stuff. Numerous books, plans, and reports are written about it, but don't fall into the trap of over-complicating things. Make it simple and practice what you preach. If you want to establish a modern, open culture, take an agile approach and start learning by doing. Look for low-hanging opportunities and get the ball rolling. Facilitate changes, support them and celebrate your first successes. This way, you pave the way for more long-term ambitions.

A few last tips

• Transforming your SP to an open, knowledge-oriented organization can only succeed if management is willing and able to give employees more responsibilities. Be aware that it can be challenging to take a step back if you are used to telling people what to do. Still, they have to learn, so give them a chance to do so. Of course there will be friction and miscommunication. That's all part of the game.
• People are what they are, so don't try to change them. Instead focus on their behaviour. Encourage your employees to do things differently  (e.g., by setting specific goals, friendly reminders, or peer coaching). When they see that the new behaviour works out well, their mindset will follow.
• A cultural transformation programme takes a long time, so don't lose focus. Keep the spirit alive! There are numerous ways to do so: discuss the progress of the transformation as a regular item in team meetings, keep sharing success stories on your intranet and social media, invite a keynote speaker to motivate your employees in the right direction, and shake things up.

Need help to determine the best strategy for your business?

At Insight, we help Service Providers build their value proposition and realize their business ambitions in a multi-cloud world. As a multi-vendor software licensing, workload, and cloud platform specialist, we can guide you through all stages of your strategic cloud journey. We help you accelerate your business and find new ways forward. Contact one of our cloud specialists for a talk.

Further reading?

Follow our blogs on cloud adoption or read our client stories to find out what others say.