Culture Fulfillment Case Study: CB&A

"Culture touches every aspect of our work."
Executive Vice President, Emily Embury

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc., or CB&A, has ambitious goals, and we believe their exceptional organizational culture will serve as the catalyst for actualizing their goals. Their CorePurpose™ statement reads: By 2025, CB&A will deliver marketing communications services to accelerate the growth of education companies that make a difference in the lives of 75 million students and 4 million educators.

And beyond that…they’re looking to change the life of every kid in the U.S. by connecting schools to stellar products and services.

The Benefits of Engaging a Coach for Culture Fulfillment Compared to Independent Efforts

With this goal in mind, CB&A invested in the Culture Fulfillment program, knowing that culture is the foundation on which achievement is built. Prior to the program's initiation, the organization had a culture that included core values. However, these cultural elements were not harnessed to their full potential. President Charlene Blohm recounts that although CB&A possessed core values and mottos, they were not ingrained in the company's DNA. Rather, they existed as isolated concepts, lacking the professional integration that could truly transform the organization's culture. This preliminary stage is characterized as being "not as bad as something sitting on an ignored sticky note on somebody's computer monitor, but it was also not a full-fledged culture implementation."

So, they got to work. Emily Embury, Executive Vice President of CB&A, said one of the most significant pieces of this process was the team's alignment with the core values and how this cohesion was fostered through a comprehensive process facilitated by Will Scott, The Culture Fix® Founder, CEO, & practicing Coach. The new core values, developed with active participation and reflection, have instilled a sense of ownership and pride among the team. Everybody had a say. The inclusivity of our program sets The Culture Fix® apart from other methodologies. Right from the outset, we initiate surveys across the entire employee spectrum, conduct comprehensive interviews, and engage the complete staff in the process of nurturing and actualizing the company culture. We undertake this approach to ensure that every member of the team feels included and valued, thereby fostering a stronger commitment to embrace and embody the culture we are establishing.

Moreover, the CB&A team reported that they derived significant value from the guidance of an impartial and external facilitator. Will Scott, our Founder & CEO and an experienced coach, leads the process with a singular objective – to foster the company's success through culture development. Partnering with The Culture Fix® offers a substantial advantage over attempting to navigate culture implementation independently. An external facilitator can identify blind spots and potential challenges, unencumbered by external agendas or frustrations. Furthermore, their constant engagement with various company cultures equips them with the expertise to overcome obstacles and ensure the inclusion of every team member.

The Impact of Operationalizing Culture

A pivotal moment in cultural transformation is marked by the program's ability to operationalize core values, and The Culture Fix® methodology includes several actionable tools. Among the most popular is our Notice & Nominate™scheme, which focuses on spotlighting and appreciating actions that closely align with your CoreVals™. Whether executed on a weekly or monthly basis, this approach encourages team members to nominate colleagues who exemplify your values.

CB&A’s Gold Star program, which pre-dates their relationship with The Culture Fix®, is emblemized by the icon they’ve included in their imagery.

Each month, they submit in nominations for colleagues who exemplify CB&A values. Whoever receives the most nominations is acknowledged and celebrated. They even give them a gift card, a gesture to showcase the team’s appreciation. Charlene & Emily shared that this program fostered recognition and contributed to a renewed sense of camaraderie and collective ownership.

The impact of defining & implementing culture has radiated beyond internal conversations, permeating external conversations and shaping the company's identity in the eyes of clients and partners. Charlene highlights the program's influence on the company's interactions with clients, where their Core Values, which they highlight on their decks, have become a focal point during new business pitches, emphasizing CB&A’s commitment to shared beliefs and values with potential clients. She believes these conversations lead to higher quality work.

"When we put our Core Values in front of a client, it elevates the conversation instantaneously and initiates a discussion about the client’s or prospect’s Core Values in return. We love noting what’s similar between our firms. And there's going to be an overlap in some way, at least for our team there always has been. It's led to some pretty powerful conversations."
Charlene Blohm, President of CB&A

This external shift showcased how the Culture Fulfillment program not only fortified internal cohesion and also became a defining factor in the company's external relationships. The integration of core values into the organization's identity bridged the gap between internal culture and external representation, as though their culture is a North Star that acts as a conduit for connection.

eNPS Scores & Cultivating a Thriving Culture

Before Culture Fulfillment

Prior to the culture launch, our data reveals that 33.3% of respondents scored the company's approach to sustaining culture at a 7 out of 10, while a majority of 66.7% assigned it an 8 out of 10. These scores indicated a positive perception of CB&A’s efforts and suggested room for growth and refinement in their cultural practices.

After Culture Fulfillment

Following the culture launch, our survey results demonstrate a notable shift in the evaluations. We observe that 18.2% of participants now give a perfect score of 10 out of 10, indicating a substantial improvement in their perception of CB&A’s approach to sustaining culture. Additionally, a significant portion of 54.5% rated the company at 9 out of 10, highlighting a considerable increase in satisfaction with their culture enhancement efforts. Moreover, 18.2% maintained their assessment at 8 out of 10, while 9.1% assigned a score of 6 out of 10. These numbers collectively reflect a positive trend toward higher satisfaction and confidence in their refined cultural approach.

The average score for the company's effective approach to sustaining culture improved by approximately 0.78 points after the culture launch. This improvement indicates a positive shift in perception and satisfaction regarding CB&A's cultural practices.

After Culture Fulfillment

An outstanding achievement unveiled by our survey data is the unanimous acknowledgment by 100% of employees that leaders within the company are hiring, unhiring™, and leading in alignment with CB&A’s core values. This remarkable consistency underscores the effective integration of their core values into their leadership practices and further solidifies CB&A’s commitment to fostering a culture of integrity and alignment.

After Culture Fulfillment

Equally noteworthy is the unanimous sentiment expressed by all survey participants – 100% – who reported feeling better about working within CB&A. This unanimous affirmation of improved job satisfaction substantiates the positive impact of CB&A’s Culture Fulfillment efforts on the overall well-being and engagement of their workforce.

They concluded with a 90.9% eNPS score, a very high score. The survey data unequivocally demonstrates that CB&A’s culture launch has yielded substantial improvements in their approach to sustaining culture. The significant increase in higher scores post-launch, along with the unanimous recognition of core value alignment and enhanced job satisfaction, attests to the success of their cultural transformation journey.

Conclusion

Will Scott had the opportunity a few weeks ago to check back in with Charlene Blohm at CB&A on how our Culture Fulfillment program is continuing to serve them. 

Charlene noted how CB&A’s CoreVals™ have been organically incorporated into team conversations and decisions, and CoreVals™ continue to come up with clients as well. They are actually working on a Net Promoter Score to determine how their clients are receiving their values.

In conclusion, CB&A's Culture Fulfillment story exemplifies the transformative power of intentional culture-building. Recognizing the significance of a strong organizational culture, CB&A embraced a comprehensive process that engaged every team member. Guided by The Culture Fix® Founder, Will Scott, the program's external facilitation brought fresh insights and seamless integration. Operationalizing culture led to tangible outcomes, from fostering camaraderie to influencing client interactions. Survey data revealed a positive shift, with higher post-launch scores reflecting increased satisfaction and alignment. These findings underscored the program's success.

CB&A's experience illustrates the vital role of culture in shaping identity and relationships. As CB&A continues to thrive, their journey remains a testament to the profound impact of purposeful culture cultivation…we look forward to watching this team achieve their mission!