The fledgling Auckland University of Technology needed to define its culture for the first time, ensuring it reflected the country’s bicultural society.
Using our proven approach, conversations with staff and students informed the creation of a values framework. By creating these concurrently in Māori and English they were created to be truly bilingual.
Thanks to everyone playing a part in creating the shared values, there was a strong feeling of ownership and connection to them, ensuring they could be embedded into daily work.
The challenge
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) was relatively new and faced the challenge of defining its culture for the very first time. It needed to bring together the curiosity and ambition of student learning with the focus and rigour of research, while reflecting the country’s uniquely bicultural society of Māori and Pākehā.
The team had heard about our transformative culture work with New Zealand’s Health Boards, and so turned to A Kind Life for support…
Our approach
Appreciate
We conducted culture surveys with staff and students to understand both the current culture and aspirations for the future.
Statistical analysis identified the key drivers for change, while semiotic analysis of strengths and improvement areas shaped initial planning.
- Surveyed staff and students to understand current culture and aspirations.
- Key drivers for change identified through statistical analysis.
- Initial planning shaped by semiotic analysis of strengths and areas for improvement.
Co-create
By engaging staff and students in meaningful conversations we could refine these insights and develop a shared set of values and behaviours.
These were created concurrently in Māori and English to be truly bilingual.
- Developed a shared set of values and behaviours with staff and students.
- Created from the ground up to be truly bilingual.
Activate
We rolled out the new values and behaviours using an effective communications strategy and by developing and delivering large group sessions across the organisation to embed them.
Leaders also took part in Leading with Values sessions, building practical emotional intelligence, and becoming visible role models of the new culture.
- Delivered large group sessions to roll out new values and behaviours.
- Ran Leading with Values sessions for leaders.
- Helped leaders become visible role models for the culture.
The outcomes
Because they were part of creating these values, teams felt a strong sense of ownership and connection to them. Everyone now has the confidence to have constructive conversations when the values weren’t being upheld, and the practical skills to recognise and appreciate the values in action.
- A bilingual set of values and behaviours embedded into daily ways of working.
- A social movement of staff, motivated and equipped to live the values.
- Strong leadership commitment to modelling the agreed behaviours.
I would highly recommend A Kind Life. If you want to make your organisational values truly meaningful and bring them off the wall and into daily practice, they are an excellent partner to help you do it.