Driving Culture Change Across a Global Humanitarian Agency
Industry: International Development & Humanitarian Sector
Location: Global | Headquartered in North America
Partner: Xorexs Consultants
The Challenge
An international humanitarian organization operating in over 130 countries was undergoing a major cultural transformation. While the organization had defined its core values around collaboration, agility, and innovation, it lacked a structured way to reinforce and recognize these behaviors. Teams worked across borders, time zones, and cultures—making unified culture adoption a challenge. Employees needed a tangible link between their day-to-day contributions and the organization’s broader mission and values.
Our Approach
To support the organization’s global change initiative, we were brought in as part of the Change Management Secretariat. We designed and launched the Exceptional Collaborator Awards—an international recognition framework rooted in organizational psychology and behavioral science. Key actions included:
- Conducted virtual focus groups and one-on-one sessions to uncover cultural friction points
- Developed criteria and nomination processes for new spot recognition awards
- Integrated core values into award design to encourage real-time, meaningful acknowledgment of desired behaviors
- Designed a clear communication and rollout plan, including a social media deck and internal messaging toolkit
- Applied behavioral change principles to promote mindset shifts across multicultural teams
The Results
- Boosted employee engagement globally, fostering a stronger sense of collaboration
- Reinforced key values by making them actionable through an inclusive reward system
Client Quote
“Her insights into organizational culture helped us align our international teams and boost collaboration across departments.”
— Director, Change Management, Global Humanitarian Organization