had significant, long-term challenges with retention of staff. Mariana Strategies was brought in to assist the department in assessing the workplace climate in order to determine effective interventions.

Staff and management of this team belong to many different cultures from across Asia and the Pacific and Europe. For many people, speaking about their experiences of workplace exclusion isn’t something they want to do with a stranger. Mariana Strategies worked with the team to build relationships across cultures and time zones, to ensure that participants felt safe to communicate freely – and share information that would inform a process of change.

In close conjunction with the management of the team, Mariana Strategies conducted an assessment on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, exclusion, and organizational culture. Using a scientifically vetted survey and holding listening sessions with department team members, Mariana Strategies was able to build trust with individuals and obtain key insights into the experiences that inform the climate and culture of the team.

The data showed clear strengths and opportunities, which were delivered to leadership in a series of meetings to determine how best to communicate with staff for engagement and culture change. A series of town hall meetings were held with all staff and leadership, a strategy to encourage conversation and teamwork, and to demonstrate the commitment of management to ensuring that changing the culture of this team was a priority.

As a result of the assessment, the team has created a task force from across staff and management, to identify top priorities for action, delivering the cross-level partnership and commitment that was desired to implement change.