Is 20% the Number?

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How hard is it to get 100% of even the smallest group of people to agree on anything, never mind a whole company? We’ve all struggled with that dynamic. But when it comes to culture change, Konica Minolta CEO Shoei Yamana believes the number is a lot smaller:
“Across a big company it is impossible to get 100 per cent of people to change. But you only need 20 per cent of the people. If I can do that, I am 100 per cent confident I can change the whole company.”
Last week, the Financial Times asked me to share my perspective on culture change. Their How to Lead feature was a profile of how Yamana is moving Konica Minolta past 140 years of success into a new business model. I shared my perspective in their companion piece Ask the Outsider. While his journey is focused on leading a traditional, 45,000 person, Japanese company through a major shift, his insights can help anyone who is trying to change mindsets in their team, department or company.
  • Give the words meaning: In the article, Yamana highlights the importance of telling evocative stories to paint a picture. It illustrates and reinforces behaviors that supports the new culture. He cites some actions taken by staff to meet a customer’s desire to see digital stars in their hospital room. By telling that story, he makes the ideas of nimble and customer-focused real.
  • Make people hungry: Complacency is the enemy of innovation. In it’s long history, Konica Minolta was focused on making products without regard for whether it was something the customer wanted or needed. The company wasn’t hungry to do something that was truly breakthrough. Success was simply assumed until Yamana no longer made it acceptable.

 

  • Change who you see as competition: Konica Minolta couldn’t rely on its past. Success was getting in the way of the future. Rather than positioning the company against its traditional competitors, Yamana positioned start-ups and industry disruptors as the competition. That shift, along with putting the customer at the center of their conversations, is changing how the employees at Konica Minolta see their roles.
What do you think? Is 20% buy-in the tipping point for change?
At NextBridge, we advise leaders and leadership teams on successfully changing their organizations and cultures.
What conversation would you like to have? Call me at 978-475-8424. I’d love to hear what you have to say.