Cultural change by speech: Team learning and the role of interaction

Abstract

This article is describing a management team in transformational change by focusing on the team learning cycle, in particular the role of communication and dialogue. It is a longitudinal case study; the team learning cycle itself is based on literature study and the quantitative and qualitative study of 50 other teams. In any meeting of this particular team, a learning cycle can be found which functions as a change motor, with communication processes as ‘oil and grease’ and a recurrent cultural discussion item as catalyst. The team learning cycle can be of use to all practitioners to help, coach, or reflect on (cultural) change processes and emphasises the importance of communication skills.