Mark Twain once observed that “Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often.”

This humorous—although deeply accurate—statement brilliantly summarizes the tension between “talking” and “acting” in facilitating culture change.

Of course, speeches, group discussions, and one-on-one conversations are all part of any successful culture change process.  So, the question isn’t “Should I talk about culture change?”, the real question is “When should I talk about culture change?”  In particular, should you begin a culture change process by giving a speech that announces a culture change effort, engage in small group discussions about the values you want to have in a new culture or engage in one-on-one conversations with critical stakeholders about the new culture you want to create? Or, should you, instead, begin this process by engaging in activities that build stories that exemplify the cultural values you are trying to create, and then only later talk about the implications of your actions for the culture in your organization?  In short, should you “talk and then act” or should you “act and then talk”?

Here is the problem with a “talk and then act” strategy. Talk is cheap. By that, we mean that you can say almost anything you want to say in a speech, in group discussions, or in one-on-one conversations, and walk back what you have said if changing your culture becomes difficult.  The act of talking is not a “credible commitment.” Indeed, your employees know that culture change is likely to be difficult and likely to be subject to a variety of headwinds. Many of them expect you to back off your verbal commitments to culture change when things get tough. And for that reason, many of your employees will “sit out” your culture change efforts.  And without the active and creative involvement of your employees in building a new culture, it is very difficult to build a new culture.

This can be very frustrating, as you ask yourself why your employees seem so reluctant to truly engage in culture change. After all, haven’t you told them how important a new culture is for your company? The problem is—many of them simply don’t believe you.

On the other hand, an “act and then talk” strategy often does represent a credible commitment. It’s easy to “walk back” what you have said, more difficult to walk back what you have done. This is especially true when you have engaged in activities that have built several culture-changing stories. “Retracting” these stories is virtually impossible, since what you have done leaves a stronger impression than what you say.

Perhaps you are thinking—“If I don’t explain to my people why I am engaging in the actions I am engaging in, they will be confused about my purpose.”

Exactly. Some employee confusion at the beginning of culture change is good news, not bad news. You want people in your organization to be at least a little confused about why you are acting the way you are acting. You want them to talk among themselves, to try to discern your motives and objectives. Then, after you have built a few culture-changing stories, you can relieve their confusion by explaining why you have done what you have done.

When you finally begin talking, explain why the strategy your firm is currently pursuing is going to have to change. Explain how your current culture is inconsistent with the new strategy. Then explain how the actions you have taken exemplify the kind of culture you think the company needs to build in order to implement its new strategies. And finally, invite your employees—in speeches, small group discussions, and one-on-one conversations—to join you in this culture change effort by building their own stories.

And when your employees start building their own stories, talk about them. As important, invite your story-building employees to talk about their experiences in co-creating a new organizational culture with you.

So, Mark Twain was right—actions speak louder than words, especially when actions precede words. Your employees will believe your commitment to culture change when they see you acting in ways that break with the cultural past and provide a path to the future. After you have begun building culture-changing stories, then you can start talking about why and how your organization’s culture needs to change.

Author: Jay Barney is one of the top three most cited scholars in the field of strategic management, who has published over 125 articles and book chapters, along with seven books. He is a full-time professor at Eccles School of Management at the University of Utah. Connect with Jay at JayBarney.org