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Summary
Steve Chaparro shares his thoughts on design ops as culture design and how his firm, Culture Design Studio, helps creative teams and companies thrive by aligning their brand, culture and environment. He also shares the finding of his recent Creative Leadership Survey.
Key Insights
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Career paths are rarely linear; embracing change can lead to deeper understanding.
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Effective questioning uncovers the true needs of clients rather than just their stated wants.
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Design principles can be applied beyond traditional boundaries, impacting culture and organization.
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Understanding agency and sponsorship from leadership is crucial to enact cultural change.
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Culture design involves both organizational structure (bones) and behavioral interactions (flesh).
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Creative teams must apply the same principles they use for clients to their internal culture.
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Engaging leadership in culture design should start with their willingness to be vulnerable and open-minded.
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Trust and communication are essential in facilitating successful cultural change.
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Leaders often need to adapt their language and approach to fit the team's context.
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COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated existing organizational challenges.
Notable Quotes
"There's probably a select few who know the singular thing they want to do in life and pursue that with gusto."
"Many times, the very principles we espouse with clients fail to apply internally."
"If you don't have sponsorship from leadership, it's a setup for failure."
"Culture cannot be outsourced; it needs to be owned by the organization itself."
"I need to gauge leadership's willingness to make changes themselves."
"How do you help architects and designers use the same processes they apply for clients?"
"It’s important to bring about awareness before application when addressing culture."
"People are looking for coaching, webinars, and books to solve their challenges."
"Focus was the top challenge reported by creative leaders."
"If you want my kids to change, I need to change first."
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