Strengthening Organisational Culture During Executive Transition

Client context

An organisation preparing for a change in executive leadership saw the transition as an opportunity to understand its culture more deeply before the incoming Executive Director took the reins.

Leadership wanted to hear directly from staff about their experience of the organisation: what people valued, where there were tensions or gaps, and what they wanted to see carried forward or strengthened under new leadership. Employee survey data provided part of the picture, but not the depth of understanding they were looking for.

What was happening

Leadership transitions can make things visible. Expectations shift, people wonder what will change, and questions about culture and direction can come closer to the surface.

The organisation wanted staff to be able to speak candidly about their experience without the process becoming an exercise in either complaint or forced positivity. There was also an important opportunity to give the incoming Executive Director a richer understanding of the organisation they were about to lead.

How ALSHA worked

ALSHA designed and facilitated a Culture Reset process informed by the ALSHA Framework™, appreciative inquiry, psychological safety and collaborative sensemaking.

Staff were invited to explore what they wanted to see, hear and experience in their workplace, alongside what they already valued and wanted to retain. Structured facilitation allowed different experiences and perspectives to emerge while keeping the conversation connected to the organisation's future.

ALSHA then examined the material across the sessions for patterns, points of convergence and areas requiring leadership attention. These were brought together in a strategic report for leadership, with recommendations across culture, communication, staff wellbeing and leadership practice.

What emerged

The process gave leadership a much richer qualitative picture of organisational life than survey data alone could provide. It surfaced strengths worth protecting, areas where staff experience and organisational intention were not fully aligned, and priorities the incoming Executive Director could take into their early leadership agenda.

Staff had an opportunity to contribute to the conversation about the organisation's next chapter, while leadership entered the transition with a clearer understanding of what people were experiencing and what would require attention.