Culture – The Secret Sauce (or Saboteur) of Transformation

Technology changes processes. Culture changes outcomes.

And if you ignore culture, it will quietly eat your transformation for breakfast—with a side of passive resistance.

The Real Story: A European manufacturing firm introduced daily tiered huddles and visual management on the shop floor. Sounds simple, right? But this wasn’t just lean theatre—it created a culture of transparency and accountability. Absenteeism dropped. Productivity rose. And no one had to bribe anyone with pizza.

The Strategic Shift: Culture is the hidden variable that explains why two firms with identical transformation budgets end up with wildly different results. It’s the difference between “we’re doing this because we have to” and “we’re doing this because we believe in it.”

Leaders must design culture intentionally during transformation. That means aligning incentives, embedding new behaviours into daily rituals, and—this one’s important—actually modeling the change. If your exec team is still using legacy tools while preaching digital-first, your credibility is toast.

Culture isn’t soft. It’s operational risk management in disguise.

How have you leveraged culture as a transformation accelerator? Share your examples—bonus points if they involve sticky notes or awkward team-building exercises.