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Driving Culture Change: An Interview with Kathy Kull

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Kathy Kull Blommer Chocolate Company Culture Change

Kathy Kull Blommer Chocolate Company Culture ChangeTo wrap up our month of focus on the importance of organizational culture, we spoke with Kathy Kull, Corporate Director of Human Resources at Blommer Chocolate Company, to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities facing leaders within large organizations in driving culture change.

Kathy joined Blommer Chocolate Company in January of 2004, and has since acted as an integral member of the leadership team to develop the Human Resources department and help drive organizational culture change. Prior to joining Blommer, Kathy was Director of Human Resources at Chicago Extruded Metals Company for thirteen years. She holds a B.S. in Personnel Management from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Senior Professional Human Resource (SPHR) certification.

Moementum: What do you you see as the role of a leader vs. individual contributor in establishing or changing company culture?

Organizational leadership helps to set the vision for culture change, and define decision making under that new vision. The leadership team is responsible for removing barriers to positive change, including lack of alignment across functional areas, making sure employees understand the “why” for driving culture change, setting a roadmap for success (and being willing to make course corrections along the way), and hiring employees who have the same values and ideals by which the company operates. However, “many hands make quick work” – it is critical to embrace everyone on the journey of culture change.

Moementum: Have you worked to establish a certain (intentional) culture within your organization?

Yes, we have used the Denison Organizational Culture Survey as a tool to assess our current culture objectively. Through the roll out of our results to all employees, we were able to engage their thinking on which specific areas of culture (Mission, Adaptability, Involvement, Consistency) we should focus in order to create the type of culture we want at Blommer Chocolate Company.

Moementum: What are the biggest challenges to establishing an intentional, healthy organizational culture in a very large company (vs. a much smaller company)?

Alignment is challenging, especially when you are working with multiple locations. But when you use a common tool (Denison Organizational Culture Survey) for reference, you can start talking and communicating with focus, which starts to build alignment and continuity.

Moementum: What have you experienced as the challenges of driving culture change within the manufacturing sector?

Daily demands versus overarching organizational change stresses the bandwidth of all employees. We run LEAN, so it is tough to really provide time to focus on long-term culture change goals and ask the right questions.

Moementum: When met with the challenges of establishing a healthy culture, how do you as a leader maintain positivity and continue driving forward?

I saw a program once with the statement “Today is a good day for a good day.” That has stuck with me. We have to celebrate the little shifts that we see daily in order to start changing the culture. Every day is a day that we can start from to make a brand new ending.  We do not have to let the past define us or our culture.  When we stay positive and true, I believe we can continue to drive forward.

Moementum: What advice do you have for other people in your position who want to begin the shift towards a healthier company culture?

Culture connects to everything: we constantly need to be aware of whether what we are doing and what we are asking of employees is supporting the culture we have or want to grow for our organization. We need to recognize the efforts of management and hold them accountable, not just for the “what” goals, but also the “how” goals. Building some key, consistent questions around the culture you want, and really asking them, helps to align senior management and keep them connected to their role in creating the culture of the organization. You can say you want a specific culture, but the culture you have will be based on what the leaders in the organization actually do.

The post Driving Culture Change: An Interview with Kathy Kull appeared first on Work Smart Blog, Moementum, Un-Consultants.


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