Address Current Issues
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2020 was totally unexpected.
​2021 is not and your response is being calculated.
Addressing current issues is key to satisfying shareholders

Applying Our Skills to Solve Current Issues 

Pandemic

​Conquering the
Pandemic: An audacious
strategic pivot!

Banking

​Adapting Culture &
Conduct in Banking, Super and FS

M&A

​Maximising
2021 M&A Integration and Divestment

Diversity

​Achieving Diversity
and Diversity
of Thought

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Conquering the Pandemic:
​An audacious strategic pivot!

​Responding Quickly to Radical Change

Responding to radical change - like that brought on by a 'once-in-a-lifetime' pandemic - is extremely hard on an organisation, employees and the purse. To pivot, is to radically change your belief about the future state and how to get there. 

When pivoting unexpectedly, organisations and people come under stress. Our role is to help provide understanding of, and give visibility to, the pivot, in a way that reduces the stress factors and builds confidence in the new direction.

Don't Let the Pandemic Spoil your Fun

ManAGING SEVERE ORGANISATIONAL STRESS

You don't have to live with the stress. Managing the human impact of rapid change, overcoming fear, and boosting collaboration is central to our work with you

OVERCOMING EXECUTIVE UNCERTAINTY

Learning to lead change involves knowing how to processing information, reading the shock-waves and gauging uncertainty. When we work with you, we prepare you to project 'calm and control' to employees, while formulating a winning strategic pivot so that you can move forward decisively and with confidence

RESPONDING TO BUSINESS INTERRUPTION

We work with CEOs and Top Teams that are at a crisis point on their growth curve, often. When things are trending down, we work with you to assessing business impact and 'knock-on' effects of the change (a COVID induced change or otherwise); rightsize the business; protect the brand and reputation; and keep investors locked-in

ADDRESSING SUPPLIER AND CUSTOMER ANXIETY

A large part of any strategic pivot and change is keeping stakeholders and everyone in the value chain informed, close and happy. WE work with you to develop and implement a change communications strategy to minimize fall-out from unmeet obligations, renegotiations, contract renewals and performance expectations. We use growthcurv's Culture Circuit to help you focus on the players that matter.

Read what others say about our work on their strategy here

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​Adapting Culture & Conduct in Banking, Superannuation and 
​Financial Services 

​Responding to the Royal Commission Report in Australia
and the Reserve Bank of NZ and FMA Joint Review in New Zealand

Are you an Australasian bank or financial institution implementing changes to 'culture and conduct' prescribed in the Royal Commission Report in Australia, or the Reserve Bank and FMA Report in New Zealand?

If yes, click on the boxes below to consider challenges you may not yet have identified

Lack of Stickability vs Big Stick

The problem with the Reports - 71 of the 73 recommendations are Artefacts unlikley to deliver deep cultural change 

If you are, there is one problem, both reports illuminate a superficial understanding of how cultures form; the assumptions that drive behaviour; and that changing culture and conduct requires much more than altering cultural artefacts (which most of the 'recommendations' are).​

Artefact 'fixes' address symptoms not causes, and very often act like Band-aids. They hide problems hidden beneath and rarely address the source. And as we know, a Band-aids 'stickiness' doesn't last forever.

The artefacts that the Royal Commission called for include: legislation change, working groups, compliance reporting, financial restrictions, civil penalties, disciplinary systems, changes to sales models and compensations schemes, and other enforcements measures. 

To achieve deep, lasting culture change you need to identify and adjust the assumptions and beliefs people hold that reflect values and behaviours formed 20, 30 or even 50 years ago. Can you  reprogram a persons belief system by rewriting the rule book? Unlikely.  Rules and words won't change a seasoned bankers beliefs about what is important anymore than they can change their religion. You need to know 'What is the motive for change?' Can we just say 'I said you need to change, so just do it'?

No, implementing the 73 recommendations in the Reports alone will not lead to sustainable, change in culture and conduct. That's going to take a deeper intervention. 
​

​Compliance is a stick. adapting cultures, obtaining personal commitment and achieving collaboration requires a carrot

The changes demanded by ASIC, APRA, RBNZ and FMA are a stick. "If you don't do it, your banking license is at risk". This is an effort to motivate banks into action by fear. An external threat like this is best described as a 'burning platform' or 'business case' for change.  

In 2021, obtaining and maintaining the required collaboration to drive culture changes being sought by this sector won't come easily while anxiety over the pandemic continues, not to mention the unsettling impact of ongoing supply chain and digital transformations. 

A savvy CEO knows that to successfully lead change in a business the motivation needs to comes from within it and it ought not be fear driven. Instead he/she knows they need to tap into an employees intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to obtain their following. 

They also know that to shift old 'institutionalised' cultures, with deep rooted values systems, they are going to require a compelling strategy that can inspire people to believe in a better future state.

The most effective culture change program is one that aligns to the business strategy at all levels and is both externally and internally motivated. Overcoming fears and replacing the emotion with calm, courage and security will bind people together to move towards the stated future. 

Remember, this is not the soft stuff. It's definitely the hard stuff that eludes many CEOs...and delegating to HR is not an option. CEOs must lead culture change.

​Let us show you how you do that.​

Check progress: Can you meet long term outcomes?

Perhaps it is time to check that your 'culture and conduct' change programs are meeting the Royal Commissions' and the RBNZ/MFA demands, and that they are also realigning underlying assumptions and beliefs about banking, sales and service that drive behaviours towards customer outcomes?

​If you don't get beneath the artefacts, to deeper layers of your old culture, achieving sustainable long-term customer outcomes will be an uphill struggle.

TALK TO US  about using growthcurv's Culture Circuit to drive culture change quickly and painlessly. See my work in financial services around the world here

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Maximising 2021 M&A Integration
​and Divestment

Do you want to be like Daimler-Benz & Chrysler?

Daimler Benz & Chrysler -  In 1998 this merger created value of $37b, but by 2007 Chrysler was sold to a capital management company for 'restructuring' for a mere $7b! Why? German and American business cultures were so vastly different and their egos of equal size, that executives could not agree on strategic or operational matters which lead to a massive integration failure. The deal tumbled leaving both companies picking up the pieces

main cause of the failure

Underlying, hidden forces of culture - which I refer to in Stepping Up as the Force Field - can aid or inhibit merger and divestment success, are the main causes of the failure at Daimler-Chrysler. When you fail to recognize hidden assumptions and beliefs impacting behaviours of each party, they covertly undermine your efforts at achieving synergies and lead to your undoing. 

Cultural Due Diligence can save you from investments that have high risks of integration failure due. It can also provide a basis for managing integration of those that have low risk, thereby increasing the certainty that your synergies will be realised.

Know how to use underlying, hidden cultural forces positively to drive faster integration and add value to your investment. Talk to us about your planned merger or divestment. Make it count. Read merger case studies here

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Achieving Diversity and
​Diversity of Thought

Boosting Growth through Unapologetic Diversity
​
With a lifetime of experience living in five cities across four regions of the world, and having worked in dozens of cities and cultures, I can help you to boost diversity and unleash diversity of thought in your organisation. 

Benefits arising from greater diversity include:   

• Economic development of nations and cities
• Global competitive advantage of industries and business 
• Investment, intellectual property and knowledge
• People, skills and talent

Tap into the 'diversity of thought' embedded in your multicultural communities and work forces​

​Diverse nations

Diverse nations are more competitive, globally relevant, ahead of the game, innovative and productive

Diverse cities

Diverse cities thrive from having all citizens fully participating in economic development, social integration and employment

Diverse companies

Diverse companies boost productivity by enabling both genders and all ages, cultures and religions to fully contribute without barriers or limitations

Diverse communities

Diverse communities enjoy harmony and experience richer lives from having people work together to solve local problems and identify future possibilities that benefit all

When you have diversity you can achieve full productivity which generates a strong sense of well-being and pride. These feel-good outcomes inspire positive workplaces.

Let us help you motivate people of all cultures, races, genders and religions in your employment. It brings us great joy to see your people stepping up.

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