The Brief
The client was a UK based wealth manager that had experienced change at the top of house. The CEO and HRD felt it was time to clarify what the firm stood for and how this was embodied in the culture. They recognised that to do this, there was a need to assess the firm’s values, how different groups of staff understood and demonstrated them, and how the firm was perceived by clients.
The Engagement
The engagement commenced with an organisational assessment of the culture of the firm. This was a four-phase plan:
Phase 1 | Discovery – Initial conversations with key stakeholders to establish understanding of the values and culture both written and demonstrated. We sought a diverse range of perspectives to gauge at a high level what was present and consistency of observation.
Phase 2 | Exploring – Performance of a whole firm culture survey, followed by some focus groups to interpret the results.
Phase 3 | Reporting – The findings were presented to the executive committee. Happily, we found that the existing culture was consistent with the organisation’s values and aligned with what was required to execute the strategy. It was however not well communicated but rather picked up by osmosis, not celebrated as part of the firm’s explicit identity or leveraged as a competitive advantage.
Phase 4 | Embedding – A Culture Steering Group were appointed to better articulate the values and culture of the firm with an emphasis on communication and positive reinforcement.
The Outcome
The client was delighted with the results. The underlying values and culture were refreshed and reinforced, consciously amplifying them inside and outside the organisation. Several communication workshops were delivered to support memorable articulation of the message. Cultural artefacts and events were created to celebrate the culture and the firm’s unique identity.
