Key to any culture work is an understanding of the current state. Customized to your specific situation, context gathering or assessments can include review of relevant documents and data using culture-need gap analysis, content review, stakeholder 1-on-1 or group listening sessions, industry benchmarking, and engagement surveys. Deliverables include high-level or in-depth reporting of strengths, growth areas, and next steps designed to best serve your goals such as improving psychological safety and engagement.

Once you understand where you currently stand, where do you go? Through either formal facilitated sessions or more informal conversations, strategy-building can include the reimagining of mission, vision and values (MVV), objectives, goals, and actions design, metrics-construction, and roadmapping. Deliverables vary from high level vision-focused strategy to more tactical action plans based on need and what is most useful to your team.

With strategic goals in place, concrete implementation can often include the redesign or construction of culture-resonant programs and initiatives. Support in this area can include employee engagement offerings such as affinity groups/ERG’s and mentorship programs. It can mean developing more robust talent attraction and growth through dynamic internship and entry-level development opportunities. This can also look like revising key people processes such as hiring and interviewing norms.

Research shows that one of the top reasons for talent retention and attrition is how they are managed. Supporting new or experienced people managers with opportunities for tactical and tailored advisory in group or 1-on-1 settings can have reverberating effects on wider culture improvement.

While interpersonal improvements can catalyze short term culture growth, sustaining change requires the integration of agreed upon norms and ways of working together, usually aligned with organizational goals. Support in designing or refining these guiding principles can re-align siloed or fractured teams while taking into account different working styles and operational goals.

Don’t see what you want help with listed? Let’s discuss. Gestus can operate on a bank of advisory hours or retainer model to partner with you in the way that is most efficient and supportive for you.