Aligning understanding of culture and strategic intent

This session focuses on clarifying how the organization understands culture and how leadership intent, values, and business direction should be reflected in it.

Participants explore culture from both observable aspects, such as daily behaviors and decision-making patterns, and less visible elements, including underlying assumptions and shared norms. Through this lens, the session examines how culture is formed and how it influences actions and relationships across the organization.

Based on this shared understanding, participants articulate the desired culture and the organization’s “aspirational state,” moving toward a common and explicit view rather than individual interpretations or implicit expectations.

• Develop a shared understanding of what culture means within the organization
• Clarify the connection between leadership intent, values, business direction, and culture
• Articulate the desired culture in clear and commonly understood terms

• A shared perspective on how culture is shaped and expressed
• Clear articulation of the desired culture and aspirational state
• Reduced ambiguity and misalignment in how culture is interpreted

• Review key elements of leadership intent, values, and business direction
• Reflect on situations where the organization’s culture felt clearly expressed
• Identify moments where interpretations of culture appeared misaligned

Clarifying focus areas for culture change

Building on the desired culture defined, this session examines the gap between the current culture and the culture the organization aims to cultivate.

Rather than discussing culture in abstract terms, participants analyze concrete examples from daily behaviors, decision-making, and interactions to identify where misalignments occur.

The session then focuses on prioritizing transformation themes, recognizing that effective culture change requires focus rather than attempting to address everything at once.

• Analyze gaps between the current culture and the desired culture
• Identify and prioritize key culture transformation themes
• Create shared clarity around where change efforts should be focused

• A clear view of current cultural challenges and gaps
• Prioritized themes for culture transformation
• Alignment on the overall direction of culture change

• Reflect on daily behaviors or decisions that feel inconsistent with the desired culture
• Identify aspects of culture that feel difficult to change
• Prepare examples that illustrate cultural misalignment

Translating culture into leadership behavior and action

This session focuses on how identified culture transformation themes can be translated into concrete actions and sustained over time.

Participants explore the role of leaders in embodying culture through their behaviors, decisions, and everyday interactions. Rather than relying solely on initiatives or messaging, the session examines how culture is reinforced through consistent leadership practice.

The session also addresses how culture transformation can remain an ongoing organizational effort rather than a short-term or symbolic initiative.

• Translate culture transformation themes into actionable practices
• Clarify the role of leaders in shaping and sustaining culture
• Develop perspectives on maintaining momentum in culture transformation

• Clear direction for culture-related actions and leadership behaviors
• Shared understanding of how leaders can actively embody the desired culture
• A practical view of how strategy and culture connect in daily decision-making

• Reflect on past culture change efforts that did not gain traction
• Identify factors that prevented culture initiatives from being sustained
• Consider what would be required to continuously cultivate culture over time

For information on session schedules and how to register, please visit the page below.