The Culture Shift Process

Work is changing fast. Many organizations are strained: stretched leaders, quiet tension, fragmented teams, and “initiatives” that never really stick.

The Culture Shift Process is designed to do three things, in the right order:

1. Create shared clarity about what’s really happening

2. Turn values into usable ways of working

3. Build culture through practice, not slogans

Why This Process?

The Three Phases

Start with clarity. Build your people. Evolve through practice.

1) Listen & Diagnose

We listen deeply to your people and identify where energy, trust, and clarity are breaking down.

2) Align & Design

We align leaders on where you’re going and co-design practical changes that make that future real.

We test small, meaningful shifts, strengthen leadership skills, and evolve culture in real time.

3) Practice & Evolve

What changes in the first 90 days

Leaders often feel:

• Unsure what’s really going on

• Quiet tension that nobody names

• Overwhelmed priorities

• Stretched thin or carrying the culture alone

Before

After

Leaders consistently feel:

• Clear about what’s happening and why

• Equipped with shared language

• More connected and aligned

• Energized by a realistic path forward

• Confident about what to prioritize next

You move from uncertainty to clarity, and from quiet tension to shared understanding.

Phase 1: Diagnose

Culture Pulse Sprint (30 Days)

Purpose: Get a clear picture of what’s really happening and where to focus first.

What we do

• Listen through story circles + surveys

• Identify top culture friction points

• Assess energy, trust, and clarity

• Evaluate readiness for change

• Highlight early wins and bright spots

What you receive:

• Culture Snapshot Report (strengths, friction points, risk areas)

• Readiness Score (Reset, Rebuild, Refine, Reimagine)

• Top 1–2 cultural patterns to address first

• A summary you can share with the team

Outcome: Clarity about where you are now and why it matters.

Culture Shift Session (90 Minutes)

A fast, grounded conversation to get oriented and choose the next right step.

You’ll leave with:

• A clearer picture of what’s happening in your culture right now

• A recommendation for where to start in the pathway (Listen & Diagnose, Align & Design, or Practice & Evolve)

Phase 2: Align & Design

Day 1: Culture Vision Lab

Purpose: Align leaders on who you’re becoming and how you want to work.

We explore:

• Who you want to become as a culture

• Shared expectations and values-in-action

• What a thriving culture looks and feels like

• What needs to shift to get there

What you receive:

• Culture Vision Canvas

• Values → Behaviors Map

• Alignment summary you can use with your wider team

Outcome: A shared north star that’s actually usable

Purpose: Turn the vision into practical, doable ways of working.

We co-create:

• Meeting norms

• Decision-making clarity

• Communication pathways

• Leadership expectations

• Ways to support pacing, wellbeing, and teamwork

• 2–3 focus areas for the next 90 days

What you receive:

• Culture Playbook (Draft) (behaviors, norms, ways of working)

• 90-Day Culture Plan (owners, milestones, success signals)

• Shift Hypothesis Statements (“If we try X, we should see Y”)

Outcome: A practical, energizing plan your team believes in.

Day 2: Culture Design Lab

Phase 3: Practice & Evolve

Culture Evolution Cycles (6 Week Cycles)

Purpose: Make culture change real through practice.

You can run one cycle or stack them for 3–6 months depending on goals and readiness.

Choose your cycle focus

Leadership Labs

Build leadership capacity: emotional intelligence, clarity, boundaries, repair, decision-making.

Unlearning Labs

Unlearn patterns that no longer serve the team: silence, urgency, perfectionism, avoidance, people-pleasing.

Culture Co-Lab + Sprints

Test small shifts that make work feel easier, clearer, safer, or more connected.

What you receive (each cycle):

• Culture Sprint Canvas

• Experiment Cards

• Culture Scorecard Snapshot

• Next-sprint recommendations

Outcome: Visible momentum and real behavior change.

Our sprint arc moves from four stages:

• Foundations: Seeing the patterns

• Alignment: Reclaiming agency

• Experimentation: Practicing new patterns

• Integration: From practice to culture

Sample experiments (real, not theoretical):

• Redesign a recurring decision process using consent-not-consensus or an advice process

• Add rapid reflection rounds after key meetings to normalize learning (not perfection)

• Build peer connection through mentoring or appreciation Fridays rituals

• Pilot a weekly culture huddle with open check-ins and shared problem-solving

How a 6-Week Cycle Works

Sustain What's Working

Quarterly Culture Review

Every quarter, we zoom out and assess what’s shifting, where new friction is emerging, how well new habits are sticking, and where to focus next.

What you receive:

• Quarterly Culture Review Report

• Updated scorecard

• Recommended next 2–3 experiments

Outcome: Progress that keeps moving, without burnout.

Ready to Begin?

If you want a low-lift starting point, begin with the 90-Minute Culture Shift Session. If you need a shared diagnosis, start with Listen & Diagnose.