Culture is our experience of work: Cultural artifacts surround us. All of our workplaces are littered with representations of who we are, and of the stories that give shape and purpose to our work. Our experience, reinforced in recent months as we met with more than 400 employees from the University of Richmond Business Affairs Division, is that the most tangible, and meaningful, representation of culture is found in the day-to-day experiences of human beings at work.
Systems can amplify, and complicate, work: Something we often look for when we're in an organization asking questions are indications that existing systems and processes are either enhancing or disrupting the ability of people to do their best work in ways that allow for connection and belonging, purpose, autonomy and growth. (Hello, Dan Pink.)
Gathering data at the University of Richmond: Ebony, Julia, Kayla, Thea and I gathered evidence the old-fashioned way: we listened, and we looked. Almost 30 focus groups with almost every employee in the division, a walking tour of all of their work locations, and a survey that probed deeper into questions of core values, meaning at work, and opportunities for deeper inclusion and belonging translated into two guiding documents filled with anecdotal perspectives and aspirations of University employees. These documents -- almost 100 pages of personal stories and experiences, requests, ideas and solutions -- are the cornerstone of our next phase of work.
And now the hard part: Ebony and I will spend September with groups of employees -- more than 100 representing every level of work -- making meaning of the perspectives and stories we captured. We'll also be working to identify the most powerful and impactful moves the University can make to strengthen the culture of work, which is inherently about shaping the experience of people doing work together.