188. Tiny Culture Change Series - The Most Dangerous Words in Workplace Culture with Prina Shah
Tiny Culture Change Series - The Most Dangerous Words in Workplace Culture "That's just how we do things around here." Six words that can quietly kill curiosity, discourage improvement and keep outdated workplace practices alive. In this week's Tiny Culture Change, Prina Shah challenges leaders to replace this familiar phrase with one simple question: "Is this still working for us?" It's a small shift in language that can open the door to better processes, more effective ways of working and...
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"That's just how we do things around here."
Six words that can quietly kill curiosity, discourage improvement and keep outdated workplace practices alive.
In this week's Tiny Culture Change, Prina Shah challenges leaders to replace this familiar phrase with one simple question:
"Is this still working for us?"
It's a small shift in language that can open the door to better processes, more effective ways of working and a culture where people feel empowered to question the status quo.
Rather than redesigning everything, Prina encourages leaders to identify one process, report or workplace habit that has passed its use-by date and invite the people closest to the work to improve it.
In this episode:
- Why "that's how we've always done it" can discourage curiosity.
- How leaders can challenge established practices without dismissing what works.
- Why the people closest to the work should help shape improvements.
- How one question can encourage continuous improvement.
- Why tradition should never outrun usefulness.
Your tiny culture change this week:
The next time someone says, "That's just how we do it around here," ask:
"Is this still working for us?"
If it is, keep doing it.
If it isn't, ask what could make it easier, better or more useful.
Because cultures stagnate when tradition outruns usefulness.
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Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah
This podcast is for people who know that the workplace can and should be better and are ready to do something about it. You will learn practical ways to change organizational cultures and human behaviour without buzzwords, without box ticking, without performative leadership. I am the boss of Preena Shah Consulting, working with executives, leaders and teams to create work cultures and environments that actually work for people. I am Preena Shah. I specialise in organizational culture change and human behaviour change. I am all about making work better with people who give a damn. So if you think I can help, contact me via LinkedIn. I am here to help you to find decent ways to change the workplace. Let's do this.
SPEAKER_01This week's tiny culture change is the swap. That's just how we do it around here. To is this still working? Every time someone says this is how we do things around here, it cures curiosity. When you hear it this week, gently interrupt with is this still working for us? If the answer is yes, great, commit to it. If the answer is no, ask, what could we try instead? What would make this easier or better for people using it or doing it? We don't have to redesign everything, just pick one process, one report, one habit that is clearly past its use by date. And invite the people closest to it to improve it. Cultures stagnate when tradition outruns usefulness.
SPEAKER_02All details about this episode are in the show notes. If you like this episode, I'd like you to take a moment and think about at least two people who might enjoy it. And please share the episode details with them too. Also, don't forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and on Instagram. I am Prina.jar. See you there too.