In recent years, businesses around the world have been searching for effective ways to align their company culture with their objectives. To drive success, this process might have to involve integrating new values, behaviors, and strategies.
The Colombian airline avianca didn’t go through its critical stage of cultural transformation alone. Recognizing the complexity of the challenge, the airline partnered with DOOR International, which specializes in organizational change by applying the Culture Partner’s methodology. This collaboration was pivotal in shaping the strategy and execution of avianca’s cultural shift.
How did DOOR’s expertise contribute to the process, and what outcomes emerged from this partnership?
Taking the First Steps Towards Culture Transformation
The initial challenge avianca faced in implementing changes within its organizational framework was the absence of a uniform culture across the company. Executives within the company highlighted the complex challenges they encountered, which included navigating the diverse values and missions present across various departments.
DOOR helped avianca redefine its purpose, vision, and values before diving into the multi-year cultural journey.
avianca needed to cultivate a uniform culture that extended beyond physical manifestations, such as posters on the walls, to include the mindset of every employee. This unified cultural approach was crucial for aligning the organization towards efficiency and accountability, and to also ensure that all team members were committed to a shared vision and objectives.
Easier said than done, but avianca had a goal: foster such a collective understanding and commitment, so that challenges can be addressed more effectively and drive sustainable success.
Selecting the Right Partners
To guide its cultural transformation, avianca realized it needed expert help. The airline chose DOOR International (whom we mentioned already) because its approach and proven track record in changing company cultures matched what avianca hoped to achieve.
DOOR’s experience in helping organizations change was exactly what avianca was looking for to create a better future for itself.
Creating the Proper Cultural Framework
In developing the cultural framework, DOOR integrated six core beliefs that reflect avianca’s vision, purpose, and values. These beliefs emphasize the importance of cost efficiency, dedication to achieving results, streamlining processes, and embracing the airline’s key results. The outcome would be to align avianca’s day-to-day operations with its strategic goals and ensure a common direction toward progress and efficiency to meet its short and long-term objectives.
Active engagement in behavioral change became possible by establishing strong communication channels throughout avianca. These channels explained the necessary changes, and, of course, the reasons behind them, ensuring everyone understood and participated in the transformation process.
avianca started the transformation process with ‘96 Culture Heroes’, a selected group of employees from different departments and seniority levels.
These “heroes” were trained and certified to lead and implement the required cultural transformation across the organization to its 12,000-member workforce.
Long-Term Goals and Outcomes
avianca learned through experience that cultural transformation is an ongoing journey, not a quick fix. This realization came from observing the need to continually nurture, monitor, and adjust their approach over time, highlighting the importance of persistence and adaptability in achieving lasting change.
It has been two and a half years since the company underwent the initial transformation and now is ready to revisit and refresh its culture because of feedback, accomplishments, and experiences that have been gathered throughout that period.
avianca Cultural Transformation Case Study: Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement
When it comes to driving meaningful and sustainable change, avianca’s approach to cultural transformation emphasizes the importance of leadership buy-in, employee involvement, and constant communication as the key ingredients.
avianca’s experience brings an important lesson: cultural transformation, despite its complexities and challenges, can lead to meaningful outcomes if approached as a continuous journey, not a one-off effort.
Their story is a powerful testament to the value of persistence, adaptability, and strategic collaboration, offering inspiration for other companies facing a similar path.
Enduring change is possible with the right mindset and actions. By focussing on their 2023 key results, Cirium, the industry leader in aviation analytics, has awarded avianca the Global 2023 winner on-time performance (OTP). CONGRATULATIONS to this well-deserved award.
