Breaking Barriers: Miriam Dicks on Addressing Cultural Issues in Organization

Miriam Dicks is an operations leader with proven experience in transforming organizations to achieve optimal operational performance. Over the past 20+ years, she has held several positions in operations management and operations consulting as well as serving as adjunct faculty teaching operations courses on both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Miriam’s passion for operations is fueled by her belief that any organization can operate in excellence with the right tools for change. Prior to starting 180 Management Group, Miriam spent 15 years working for organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and also spent several years in ministry operations roles in the local church. Miriam Dicks is also a sought-after speaker and trainer, having spoken on national platforms as well as statewide events.Miriam received a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a certificate in Change Management from Acuity Institute. Key Takeaways:An organization will not be able to effectively change if there are cultural issues that keep change from happening. The culture must be addressed first in order to allow the transformation to take place and for it to stick.Sometimes there’s an underlying truth that needs to be addressed in people’s negative beliefs. Listen to what people say and find out why they say it. Then, change the narrative by giving them the training and preparation that they need in order for them to be confident with the change. Accountability blooms in an environment where people have a sense of belonging. When people know that they belong and that they’ll be accepted no matter what, they’ll be more inclined to talk about it when things go wrong. Therefore, the solution will be created more quickly. Change is a process. It’s not a magic pill that will make everything better instantly. It takes work, it takes time, and it takes willingness. People need to understand why the organization needs to change and what’s going to be the impact and end-result.  “Culture is what we call the apex predator, it is at the top of the food chain. So if you don't address culture, you'll never address the other issues.”  “Sometimes there's an underlying truth that needs to be exposed behind the comment. That's why we have to kind of dig into ‘why are you saying what you're saying?’ So that we can make sure we can change the narrative.” “We all have to be cognizant of creating a sense of belonging - If you feel like you belong, then you also have this sense that ‘even if I get it wrong, I still have folks who are on my side, because I belong here.’”- Miriam Dicks Reach out to Miriam Dicks at:Website: https://www.180managementgroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriampdicks/ Ask for and receive all you want, need and deserve without feeling rejected, ineffective, or pushy. Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work.  Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Book your quickie intro call with Maryanne here!  Connect with Maryanne Dersch: maryanne@courageouscommunication.com