People and Management October 2018 | Page 13

www.peopleandmanagement.com external partners, and investors. Together they defi ned and distilled the purpose of the company, paring it down to four simple words that center on the patient: “Good health can’t wait.” Instead of plastering this new slogan on motivational posters and repeating it in all-hands meetings, the leadership team began by quietly using it to start guiding their own decisions. The goal was to demonstrate the idea in action, and in mere words. Projects were selected across channels to highlight agility, innovation, and customer centricity. Product packaging was redesigned to be more user-friendly and increase adherence. The role of sales representatives in Russia was recast to act as knowledge hubs for physicians, since better physicians lead to healthier patients. A comprehensive internal data platform was developed to help Dr. Reddy’s employees to be proactive with their customer requests and solve any problems in an agile way. At this point, it was time to share the stated purpose more broadly — fi rst, internally with all employees and then, externally with the world. At the internal launch event, Dr. Reddy’s employees learned about their purpose and were invited to be part of it realisation. Everyone was asked to make a personal promise about how they, in their current role, would contribute to the idea of ‘good health can’t wait.’ The following day Dr. Reddy’s unveiled a new brand identity and website that publicly stated its purpose. Soon thereafter, the company established two new ‘innovation studios’ in Hyderabad and Mumbai to offer additional structural support to creativity within the company. Mr. Prasad saw a change in the company culture right away, “After we introduced the idea of ‘good health can’t wait’, one of the scientists said he developed a product in 15 days and broke every rule there was in the company. He was proudly stating that! Normally, just getting the raw materials would take him months, not to mention the rest of the process. However, he was acting on that urgency. Now, he is taking this lesson of being lean and applying it to all our procedures.” scale once this group successfully co-opts existing networks and infl uencers. Eventually, in successful movements, leaders leverage their momentum and infl uence to institutionalise the change in the formal power structures and rules of society. Practices for Leading a Cultural Movement Leaders should not be too quick or simplistic in their translation of social movement dynamics into change management plans. That said, leaders can learn a lot from the practices of skillful movement makers. Frame the Issue What Does a Movement Look Like? We often think of movements as starting with a call to action. However, research suggests that they actually start with emotion — a diffuse dissatisfaction with the status quo and a broad sense that the current institutions and power structures of the society will not address the problem. This brewing discontent turns into a movement when a voice arises that provides a positive vision and a path forward that is within the power of the crowd. What’s more, social movements typically start small. They begin with a group of passionate enthusiasts who deliver a few modest wins. While these wins are small, they are powerful in demonstrating effi cacy to non- participants, and they help the movement gain steam. The movement really gathers force and Framing can also apply social pressure to conform. For example, “Second-hand smoking kills. So, shame on you for smoking around others.” In terms of organisational culture change, simply explaining the need for change won’t cut it. Creating a sense of urgency is helpful, but can be short-lived. To harness people’s full, lasting commitment, they must feel a deep desire, and even responsibility, to change. A leader can do this by framing change within the organisation’s purpose — the ‘why we exist’ question. A good organisational purpose calls for the pursuit of greatness in service of others. It asks employees to be driven by more than personal gain. It gives meaning to work, conjures individual emotion, and incites collective action. Mr. Prasad framed Dr. Reddy’s transformation as the pursuit of ‘good health can’t wait.’ Vol. 9 Issue 6 • Sep-Oct 2018, Noida / Pre-Event Edition | 13