Gustavo Razzetti

Core values have lost their value. That's the problem most organizations face: their leaders' actions don't match their words. Research shows that employees are more likely to trust their leaders when they perceive a strong alignment between values and behaviors. Culture is shaped by the behaviors we reward and punish. To be consistent, leaders must celebrate and promote individuals who embody those values. Conversely, they should call out, confront, or fire those who betray them. If leaders don’t draw a line, values are worth nothing. Zappos’ Tony Hsieh proposed that companies should hire and fire **employees – including leaders – based on whether they live up to the company's core values**

I would reframe the problem into "What are leaders (not) doing to drive change resistance?" It's easy to blame people. However, in most cases, employees have good intentions and want the company to succeed. People's resistance' to change is usually the result of emotional reasons (they focus on what they will lose rather than on what they can win). And while that's part of human nature, leaders want to force change on people. And, as Patrick Lencioni well said, it's not that people don't want to change, they don't want to be changed by OTHERS. Successful culture change initiatives tap into the three elements of intrinsic motivation: purpose, autonomy, and mastery.

People do not resist change, per se. Contrary to popular belief, resistance to change is not a default reaction. People resist the loss that change entails. Most of the losses are emotional: loss of control, loss of power, or loss of narrative. The new reality creates a gap between how things used to be and how they are now – which shakes up individual and collective identity. Who are we now? Other losses are more functional. The loss of competence happens when employees feel their skills are no longer aligned with the organization’s needs.

Asking for feedback, rather than receiving it unsolicited, could be the quickest and smartest way to develop a learning culture. Feedback conversations often create a threat state, triggering a fight-or-flight response. Instead of reflecting on improvement areas, people become defensive, ignore input, and shut down. To avoid this pitfall, encourage people to ask for feedback instead of waiting to receive it. Research shows that asking for feedback puts our brain in a reward-oriented state, making us more receptive to input from others. Requesting feedback puts you in the driver's seat. You can intentionally decide not only when to get it, but also the type of help you need – and from whom.

Respect is both earned and given. Owed respect is the basic courtesy extended to all team members. It’s consistently displayed through empathy, civility, and a positive atmosphere. Owed respect is the notion that every human being is fundamentally valuable. Earned respect is given to those who show valuable skills, behaviors, and contributions. Team members earn their colleagues’ respect through their accomplishments. Human respect is owed; professional respect is earned. It's crucial to balance these two types of respect to create a respectful culture.

The irony is stark – despite collaboration being celebrated as a cornerstone of innovation, many of us hesitate to seek help. This paradox isn't merely an individual issue. It's a cultural problem where seeking help is viewed as a sign of weakness or incompetence. Driving successful collaboration requires reframing our relationship with help. We must be both helpable and helpful. This requires overcoming three barriers: recognizing when we need help, openly asking for it, and trusting those who offer it.