This highlight video is from August 01, 2025 session Culture Change by Design: Using Data to Build Change-Ready Teams
This live discussion provided a compelling, data-driven look at how talent leaders can use assessments and intentional leadership action to build truly change-ready cultures.
“We weren’t just changing behaviors—we were holding people accountable to them. If you weren’t going to model the new culture, you might not stay.” -- Angie Zeigler
That one quote captured the clarity—and courage—required to shift culture from aspiration to reality. But it was also reinforced by the bigger picture:
“Engagement is just one of the many outcomes of culture—alongside productivity, quality, and intention to stay.” -- Cathleen Cooke, Human Synergistics
Her point is a critical reminder: engagement surveys alone don’t give you the full picture. To build a truly high-performing culture, talent leaders must look deeper—at the underlying norms, expectations, and systems shaping behavior. That’s where tools like the Organizational Cultural Inventory® (Human Synergistics’ OCI) come in, helping leaders measure and diagnose where to focus their efforts to make the biggest positive impact on your culture.
🔑 Key Takeaways for Talent Development Leaders
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Culture is measurable. Tools like OCI make the invisible visible, enabling targeted interventions.
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Start at the top. Culture won’t shift unless your senior leaders model and are held accountable for the change.
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Values ≠ behaviors (unless you operationalize them). Define behaviors clearly and embed them into hiring, development, and performance.
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Don't stop at engagement. Culture influences everything from turnover to profitability—so build your case with broader data.
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Sustained change needs many levers. One program won't fix culture. Think systemically: programs, processes, and accountability structures all matter.
🎯 Practical Actions You Can Take
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Conduct an OCI or similar assessment to compare your ideal vs. current culture.
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Launch leadership development programs tied directly to the cultural gaps identified.
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Review your performance management process—does it reward the behaviors you want?
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Audit hiring and onboarding practices to align with your target culture.
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Track progress and share stories of change to build momentum and belief.
📈 Companies with thriving cultures grew 682% in revenue over 11 years.
Not because of a one-time initiative—but because they measured, aligned, and sustained their culture work.
For talent leaders, this is the opportunity—and the challenge: to become the architects of environments where people thrive and performance follows. Culture change isn’t a project. It’s a leadership discipline.
