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Building a Thriving, Leader-Led Culture Post-Divestiture

Following a major divestiture, a specialty benefits organization set out to define its identity and activate a distinct culture—fast—by uniting leaders around a clear mission, vision, values, and employee experience.

Let’s Talk

Making Culture a Key to Success

After separating from its parent company, the organization partnered with TiER1 to articulate strategy, foster leader development, and activate a more trusting, empowered community grounded in mutual respect. The first move was to define the moments that matter in the employee experience and activate the desired culture through leaders.

The Ask

Design the desired employee experience (EX) and equip leaders to make the culture real day-to-day by:

  • Defining the EX “moments that matter” and how leaders show up in those moments.
  • Aligning leaders around shared expectations for EX and living the mission, vision, and values.
  • Activating and sustaining the culture through leader behaviors, tools, and supports in the flow of work.

The Approach

  • Articulate a company narrative. Together with senior leaders, we captured the organization “at its best” and refreshed the mission, vision, purpose, and values as a rallying cry—providing a clear promise to employees and customers.
  • Define the moments that matter. Using design prompts, leaders identified high-impact EX moments—1:1s, learning the role, connecting to the big picture, leading peers, and cross-team collaboration—so effort focused where it most influences engagement and performance.
  • Activate culture through leaders. Leaders practiced stewardship behaviors (clarity, connection, curiosity), and we introduced practical assets—Coffee Talk app, care packages with self-care cards, town halls, an intranet hub, a monthly e-newsletter, and a culture video—to reinforce the narrative in daily work.
  • Sustain commitment. We branded, designed, and facilitated a high-energy, in-person summit that convened ~100 leaders to connect, align, and affirm commitment to the organization’s purpose, mission, vision, and values. Following the summit, leaders engaged in a multi-month virtual learning journey in cohorts, made visible “collective commitments”, and continued skill-building to sustain commitment and strengthen team belonging.

The Outcome

  • A shared cultural language. Leaders were aligned on who the organization is and how to bring the culture to life—described by one senior leader as a true “rally cry.”
  • Leaders ready to act. Post-summit surveys showed 96% highly positive experiences and 87% of leaders ready to begin applying what they learned.
  • In-flow reinforcement. Always-on tools (Coffee Talk, intranet hub, town halls, culture video) embedded the narrative in everyday work and connection.
  • Momentum beyond the event. The three-day summit—plus additional structured connectivity and targeted content over the next several months—catalyzed an ongoing community of practice among ~100 leaders.
  • Enduring capability. Leaders now steward and feel ownership for the EX by focusing on consistency in moments that matter, activating a culture of trust, belonging, and performance.
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