Most culture change programs change nothing. This book changes everything.
Most attempts at culture change fail because they don’t get under the hood of what’s really going on. As a result growth is slowed, or performance continues to fall off a cliff, or the toxic culture continues to make headlines.
It doesn’t have to be this way, and it’s easier than you might think to make real change right now. Andrew Saffron shows you exactly what to do - and how to do it - to get to the heart of your organization’s culture and change it for the better, fast.
‘When it comes to culture change, Andrew is my go-to expert.’ - Mark Long, CEO, Ignite
‘This is breathtakingly brilliant... And it will change your life. It is warm, funny, compelling and astoundingly easy to read. A must read for every leader.’ - Julie Nerney, Transformation Leader and Non-Executive Director
‘This very funny book will revolutionise your business. If only I had a business.’ - Jo Brand, Comedian
I usually rate non-fiction books based on how interesting or helpful they are and focus less on the writing style. This book, *Better culture, faster* has the benefit of both: helpful information delivered in a light-hearted, easy to understand tone.
If you've ever had a job and complained about the toxic "corporate culture" or the gossiping colleagues, now you have the chance to understand how that kind of behavior came to be and why it was accepted as the norm. But more than that, this book will help you set up the goals and infrastructure you need to better behaviors and improve performance.
I liked that it goes against the grain and argues that corporate culture is NOT a soft & fluffy subject or something entirely beholden to the HR department. It's the unwritten rules for how we behave in an organization. it's "the way it's always been around here".
In the beginning it may feel abstract, but the book helps you analyze your current status and gives you steps to build a better culture. And it's careful to explain that better doesn't mean morally good or bad, but helpful to the company.
The best actionable advice in the book, for me at least, is in chapter 10 - Caring candor. I didn't know about the PAIN/GAIN statements, and that's something I'm surely going to use.
The only real downside of the book is that you already have to know the corporate jargon to be able to follow all of the advice. Some things were glossed over assuming the reader has a baseline knowledge. A glossary at the end would have been helpful. Thankfully most of the ideas had accompanying examples that helped you understand them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
Great book. I particularly liked the section about feedback. I have never been happy with the s**t sandwich approach. The tips are helpful. I made lots of notes that are applicable to my context and will start trying to change hearts and minds. Thanks NetGalley for the copy.