Culture Transformation in Agricultural Finance for Global Impact

Facing challenges in culture and leadership alignment, an Agricultural Finance company initiated a year-long transformation journey. Collaborating with CultureC Consulting, they employed a sophisticated listening program and strategic facilitation to drive data-driven decisions and leadership cohesion. This partnership led to remarkable organizational growth, improved employee engagement, and a stronger market position, showcasing the power of culture transformation in achieving sustainable global impact.

Over 90% Participation in Engagement Suvery

Grew from 200 to 300 Employees in 2023

Increase in Employee Engagement

Increase on Employee Intent to Stay (Future Retention)

THE CHALLENGE

Despite its significant achievements and impact, the company faced several internal challenges that threatened to hamper its growth and market position. The organization had recently undergone a leadership reorganization, culminating in the appointment of a new CEO tasked with spearheading a culture transformation. This initiative aimed to not only realign the company’s values and operations with its ambitious growth targets but also to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector. The primary hurdles identified included:

A need for a unified leadership vision and strategy to navigate the company’s next growth phase.
The existing culture, while having been a pillar of past successes, was perceived as a barrier to future expansion and adaptability.
A gap in understanding the organization's position in the market and aligning leadership and organizational efforts towards a common goal.

THE SOLUTION

Solution: CultureC Consulting was brought in to spearhead the company's transformative journey. Over the course of a year, CultureC Consulting and the newly appointed CEO focused on two pivotal areas:

Sophisticated Listening Program Implementation: Recognizing the power of actionable insights for strategic decision-making, CultureC Consulting introduced Culture Amp. This advanced listening tool enabled the collection of in-depth feedback across the company, providing a foundation for strategic decisions and cultural alignment with the organizational mission and values.
Strategic Leadership Offsites Facilitation: Informed by insights from the listening program, CultureC Consulting conducted a series of strategic leadership offsites. These sessions, facilitated by CultureC Consulting, were instrumental in addressing identified challenges, aligning the leadership on strategic priorities, and fostering a collaborative culture aimed at navigating the company towards its goals.

OUTCOMES

The partnership with CultureC Consulting brought about significant, measurable change within a year:

The company grew from 200 to 300 employees, cementing its position as a dominant player in the agricultural finance sector.
A successful funding round highlighted investor confidence in the company's direction and potential for further growth.
Employee engagement saw a significant uplift, with a 95% participation rate in the follow-up survey, a 7-point increase in overall engagement, and a 9-point rise in the future retention indicator. A particular location that had previously scored low on engagement witnessed a 15-point improvement, largely attributed to targeted efforts by the new CEO and the clear insights provided by CultureC Consulting and the listening tool.

CONCLUSION

This case study exemplifies the transformative power of culture transformation when combined with strategic listening and facilitation. The agricultural finance company's journey from facing critical internal challenges to achieving remarkable growth and improved organizational health highlights the value of CultureC Consulting's expertise in driving organizational change. By prioritizing deep listening and strategic action, the company was able to navigate its challenges successfully, laying a strong foundation for sustained future success.