Consulting
We partner with leading brands committed to cultivating healthy work cultures aligned with their overall business goals, purpose, and values. The North Star remains clear - nurture a sense of belonging for all without the need for exclusion. We help guide culture transformation through our unique approach, blending cutting-edge behavioral science, somatic practices, change management, and leadership development methods.
Maximize belonging & elevate your business
BELONGING CULTURE AUDIT
At work, we measure what matters, and you’re here because belonging at work matters to you. Which begs the question - do you have a sense of who belongings and who doesn’t? If not, our Belonging Culture Audit can help. This signature service amplifies aspects of your current culture that promote belonging, and exposes the gaps, which contribute to high costs of exclusion at the employee, team, leadership, and organizational levels.
"I was impressed by the depth and breadth of the Belonging Culture Audit. It provided a clear and objective assessment of our company's culture by highlighting our strengths, while identifying the areas where we were missing opportunities to promote team safety, trust, and belonging. The recommendations were actionable and have already made a positive impact on our work culture by increasing employee retention and reducing HR complaints and costly litigation."
~ T. Clarke, CEO, New York, NY
CASE STUDY
We recently partnered with a multinational biotech enterprise employing over 117,000 employees with a diverse workforce spanning across four continents. The company has a decades-long commitment to DEI, and a robust team of over 50 employees responsible for advancing this work. We conducted a belonging culture audit given the growing concerns about how the company wanted to do more to support and affirm transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive talent.
-
Senior executives recognized that a disconnect existed between their stated DEI commitments and the lived experiences of their transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive (trans) employees. They sought to understand the underlying cultural factors that might be hindering safety, trust, and belonging, not only for trans employees, but for the workforce more broadly, and they recognized the value of hiring our team to assess their culture.
-
This organization gained a comprehensive understanding of their current cultural landscape because of the audit’s qualitative and quantitative research methods, including:
Employee Surveys. Anonymous surveys were distributed to gather data on employees' perceptions of safety, trust, belonging, microaggressions, and overall job satisfaction.
Focus Groups. Targeted groups of employees were brought together to discuss their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improving the workplace culture.
Leadership Interviews. Interviews with senior executives were conducted to understand their perspectives on company culture and their initiatives to foster belonging.
Cultural Analysis. The audit team analyzed existing company policies, practices, systems, and communication channels to identify potential barriers to belonging.
-
The audit revealed several key areas where the organization’s culture was unintentionally causing exclusion, not only for trans employees, but for several other groups:
Unconscious Bias. Despite efforts to advance the organization’s DEI commitments, unconscious biases were prevalent in hiring, promotion, and mentorship processes.
Lack of Mentorship. New employees, particularly from underrepresented groups, felt isolated and lacked adequate support and guidance.
Communication Gaps. Internal communication channels were siloed, leading to a lack of transparency and a sense of disconnection among employees.
Reward and Recognition. Reward and recognition systems were not equitable, potentially reinforcing existing power structures and excluding certain groups.
-
Based on the audit’s findings, our consulting team delivered a comprehensive set of recommendations, including:
Belonging Learning Series. Implement learning and development opportunities for targeted groups to practice new skills designed to mitigate unconscious bias.
Mentorship Programs. Establish formal mentorship programs to connect new employees with experienced colleagues and provide support.
Improved Communication. Enhance internal communication channels to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and a sense of community.
Equity in Reward and Recognition. Review and revise reward and recognition systems to ensure they are equitable and inclusive.
-
Senior executives took immediate actions to implement the recommendations from our Belonging Culture Audit. They invested in the Belonging Learning Series, established mentorship initiatives, improved internal communication channels, and revised their reward and recognition systems.
To measure the impact of these changes, the organization conducted follow-up surveys and focus groups. The results showed a significant improvement in employee satisfaction, engagement, and perceptions of safety, trust, and belonging. Additionally, the organization experienced a decrease in turnover rates, particularly among newer hires.
-
Senior executives took immediate actions to implement the recommendations from our Belonging Culture Audit. They invested in the Belonging Learning Series, established mentorship initiatives, improved internal communication channels, and revised their reward and recognition systems.
The Belonging Culture Audit proved to be a valuable tool in identifying and addressing cultural gaps that were hindering employee belonging and engagement. By implementing the recommendations from the audit, the company was able to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, leading to increased employee satisfaction, retention, and overall business success.
Ready for a
Belonging Culture Audit?
Book a discovery call with Team Belonging and start your journey toward creating more safety, trust, and belonging at work.
TARGETED BELONGING INTERVENTIONS
If your company’s goal is for “everyone to feel belonging at work,” then it’s important to design targeted belonging interventions for employees experiencing exclusion & othering on the job. This is a concept known as targeted universalism, and it’s an approach we apply to help your organization build a more equitable workplace by giving each person on your team what they need to succeed. Designing such interventions will ensure that you can achieve the universal goal of building a sense of belonging for all, without the need for exclusion.
“Before working with RPC, we had a vague sense that there were issues with our company culture, but we didn't know exactly what they were. The targeted belonging interventions designed after undergoing the Belonging Culture Audit have helped us identify and meet the specific needs of the people and groups who lack a sense of safety, trust, and belonging. The ROI of these interventions has improved our company's overall belonging scores, resulting in reduced employee turnover and HR investigations."
~ B. Samson, Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles, CA.
CASE STUDY
A major social service nonprofit based in New York City was facing a growing challenge: despite its nearly century-long commitment to providing affordable housing, home health care, and community-based services to 25,000 vulnerable aging adults and their families, many employees, particularly those from underrepresented groups, reported feeling excluded, often enduring many racial, gender, and ageist microaggressions. The organization recognized the power of belonging, and sought our expertise to design targeted belonging interventions.
-
After conducting our Belonging Culture Audit, we were able to disaggregate demographic data comparing and contrasting the experiences of different organizational departments, roles, and social identities. Our analysis identified specific groups of employees who were more likely to endure exclusion, including new managers, home healthcare associates, Black, and LGBTQ+ employees.
From these findings, we were able to design targeted belonging interventions aimed at upending exclusionary behaviors these employees endured. These interventions included:
Capacity Building. The creation of a DEI Council as well as an employee resource groups (ERG) network, offered a collaborative space for staff to gather and support the organization to build cultures of belonging by creating safer spaces for employees to connect, share experiences & recommendations, and serve as culture building ambassadors.
Sponsorship Programs. The establishment of sponsorship programs that paired senior employees with junior employees from underrepresented groups. Mentors provided guidance, support, and career development opportunities.
New Manager Training. The design and delivery of a leadership development program equipping newly promoted managers with the necessary knowledge and skills to inclusively lead with confidence. The program focused on topics such as inclusive communication, repairing from harm, decision-making, inclusive leadership, etc.
Hybrid Work Policies.The design and implementation of flexible work policies, such as remote work and flexible hours, designed to provide accommodations for employees with disabilities, working parents, and those who endure frequent microaggressions.
Employee Engagement Center. The creation of a central hub where employees could access information, resources, and support related to the organization’s belonging commitments, and ways to serve as ambassadors of this work.
-
The targeted belonging interventions we implemented had a significant impact on employee retention, engagement, and innovation. Overall employee satisfaction surveys demonstrated improvements in employee engagement and feelings of belonging among new managers, home healthcare associates, and for Black & LGBTQ+ employees. Additionally, the organization experienced reduced turnover and HR complaints.
-
Targeted belonging interventions informed by our Belonging Culture Audit lead to more employees getting what they need to succeed on the job. By focusing on the specific needs of groups most likely to endure exclusion, we helped organizational leaders address the root causes of exclusion, improving the overall sense of belonging for all employees. This approach is essential for companies seeking to achieve their universal goal of belonging for everyone.
Ready for a
Targeted Belonging Interventions?
Book a discovery call with Team Belonging and start your journey toward creating more safety, trust, and belonging at work.
IMPLEMENTATION COACHING
Building belonging is a practice. It’s not enough to simply change structures, systems, or policies. Rather, embodied practices that are expressed through our behaviors can improve the way a team collaborates, resolves conflict, and solves problems. To overcome the inevitable roadblocks to true culture transformation, our team delivers implementation coaching to ensure the knowledge, skills, and confidence gained through our partnership are translated into concrete and impactful change that our clients can measure.
“Before the implementation coaching, we were struggling to maintain our momentum in advancing our people & culture goals. RPC’s ongoing support and guidance ensured that our new initiatives were effectively implemented and embedded into our day-to-day practices. It helped us reach the kind of organizational transformation we envisioned, but weren't sure how to achieve on our own.”
~ H. Nguyen, VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Seattle, WA
CASE STUDY
A large hospital network in the Pacific Northwest was grappling with a pervasive culture of exclusion. After completing our Belonging Culture Audit, it revealed essential employees, particularly those employees who are working parents, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ people, experienced a disproportionate level of exclusion during this time leading to high turnover, decreased patient satisfaction, and a decline in the organization's reputation as an employer of choice…
-
After completing our Belonging Culture Audit, and designing several belonging interventions, our team offered implementation coaching for key people leaders responsible for supporting essential staff to help apply and practice the knowledge and skills gained. This coaching provided ongoing guidance and support to ensure our clients' new policies, programs, and systems were effectively implemented and sustained.
Our implementation coaching focused on the following core areas:
Belonging Leadership Coaching. We supported a cohort of 35 people leaders managing essential hospital staff by equipping them with leadership practices to help promote an inclusive work environment, accommodate employee needs, and resolve conflict to strengthen team safety, trust, and belonging.
1:1 Coaching Support. Beyond our bi-weekly group coaching sessions, our team had a bank of coaching hours available to provide 1:1 coaching as needed for people leaders struggling to accommodate the needs of essential employees, resolving team conflict, etc., and space to get in more repetitions to practice inclusive leadership skills.
Monitoring & Modifications. We met on a monthly basis to support key executives monitor key performance indicators, making adjustments where needed to align with the organization's strategic priorities and values.
Performance Management Systems. We supported the redesign and implementation of performance management systems, helping people leaders provide fair and equitable assessments of their essential employees, which aligned with the client’s DEI goals.
-
Our implementation coaches provided ongoing support and guidance to the organization's senior executives and people leaders. Our coaches helped to:
Overcome Resistance. Address and overcome resistance to change from people leaders who were recalcitrant to the new initiatives by helping them to see how these practices could help them succeed in their roles.
Build Capacity. Develop the skills and knowledge of people leaders to effectively implement and sustain the new practices, by providing the practice space to build in the repetitions that build up the confidence to consistently practice inclusive leadership.
Monitor Progress. Track the progress of the implementation efforts and identify areas where additional support was needed, working in partnership with senior executives within the organization’s People & Culture Departments.
Provide Accountability. Hold the organization accountable for advancing its culture building strategies, helping them connect how these strategies will get them closer to achieving their universal goal of building spaces of belonging for essential employees.
-
Our partnership implementation coaching for people leaders helped boost overall workplace satisfaction results for essential employees and retention rates while decreasing employee burnout and lack of psychological safety. Additionally, the organization experienced increased employee engagement, reduced turnover, and improved patient satisfaction.
This case study demonstrates the critical role of implementation coaching in driving sustainable culture transformation. By providing ongoing support, guidance, and accountability, our implementation coaching team can help organizations overcome the challenges associated with initiating and sustaining new initiatives designed to enhance workplace culture.
Ready for Implementation Coaching?
Book a discovery call with Team Belonging and start your journey toward creating more safety, trust, and belonging at work.