successstories

Are we living our core values?

The outdoor apparel business is part of a $5B dollar industry and has seen little change or innovation since the invention of Gore-Tex, polar fleece and synthetic underwear.  The birth of a new kind of outdoor company was ripe.

Our client was starting from scratch with a vision to build a brand and culture from the simple premise of ‘doing well by doing good’. Building on the foundation of sustainability, its products would combine cutting edge performance, earth friendly materials and sleek design. When you start with a clean sheet of paper, and no one has gone down the path you are blazing, how do you take the pulse of the new culture you are creating?  Our client wanted to make sure it was living up to its values and setting the right course for the rapid growth that was planned.

Based on their newly articulated vision and values, we created a Culture Snapshot Analytical Model of the values in action of that would articulate for current and new leaders the priority culture patterns that required shaping to support the values. The model built shared understanding amongst all leaders of the link between strategy, brand, values and culture.

A custom Culture Snapshot survey was then used to find out how the values were playing out in behaviors and practices day-to-day. In this way, the leaders would be able to gain quick insights into the way the culture was being shaped that could be acted upon well before the opening of the stores and an e-commerce site.

Our analysis revealed that the company was indeed creating a new kind of company and that people were connected and committed to create nothing short of a revolution in retailing. Strong foundational values and culture pattern strengths were revealed which carried with them high potential to support strategy. The Culture Snapshot model continues to play a key role in this firm's talent management strategy as new employees are selected and developed for culture fit.

Find out about this client at www.nau.com

Sponsors
CEO

Services
Culture Snapshot Analytical Model of Values in Action
Culture Snapshot

Outcome
Aspired to culture described
Emerging culture assessed for fit