🔒Creating a ‘change’ culture

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“The Challenge Culture — Why Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback” by Nigel Travis (Public Affairs Books, $28).

Travis, now chairman of Dunkin' Brands, has seen what works and what doesn't over his 40-year career, which included senior-executive posts at Blockbuster and Papa John's. He found that successful firms pose and answer the questions: “Why?” and “How?”. Why? Self-preservation. They know that anticipating and implementing change keeps them ahead of firms that react to change.

Now for the “How?”. Create a “challenge culture” where continuous improvement replaces maintaining the status quo. In it, employees at all levels continually look for ways to do things differently and do different things by seeking more and better information. Doing so also scrutinizes long-held assumptions to determine validity and applicability.

Employees recognize that there's an ongoing “obligation to dissent” because everyone wants to contribute to building the company's future. Speaking up drives issue identification, discussions, decisions and implementation plans. There's no fear of repercussions because, in the organization's culture, “questioning, pushback, discourse and challenge are meant to generate learning” and foster innovation.

Challenge cultures are built through the actions of the firm's executives and senior managers. They set the example by asking questions about what should be changed. Travis points out that challenge differs from confrontation because it focuses on organizational issues, not personal power.

He also believes that stakeholders' voices need to be heard. At Dunkin' Brands, a franchisor, Travis and the Dunkin' team rely on feedback from franchisees.