How can leaders and teams influence a positive culture: one that delivers for the organisation, its people and wider society?
This spring saw the publication of our paper 'A Cultural Hypothesis'. Whilst celebrating the nuance and diversity across cultures, the work proposes there are several stable features of culture - enablers of success - that consistently emerge from research. This month in the Lab, we're delighted that lead author, Dr Edd Vahid, will be our guide in exploring the hypothesis. Edd will introduce us to practical insights, key findings and curious case studies. And, he'll invite us to investigate our own opportunities for positive cultural influence.
Join our conversation to:
- Learn about extensive research into the importance of purpose: a desire to impact on a wider societal level.
- Consider the kinds of organisational infrastructure that can maximise peoples' potential.
- Discuss the responsibilities of leaders and teams to nurture a psychologically safe environment.
- Generate new ideas in encouraging belonging and inclusion in your work.
What to expect:
We will share a language in which to build your own cultural insights and activity. We will bring you up to speed with our own approach working with cultural sponsors, cultural architects and guardians of culture within organisations.
We will give lots of space to interaction, and we'll reflect together on questions like:
- How do I know if an organisation is ready for cultural change?
- What happens when different cultures seem to be colliding?
- Where can we find useful measures of a culture?
- Can cultures be started-up from scratch?
- What does success do to a culture?
Edd will be joined by Shona Crooks - Head of Culture DE&I, Hugh Reynolds - Head of Digital Learning, and colleagues from across Management Futures.
Following the session, there'll be a short (15min) Q&A, do stay and hang out with us for more chat and support - we'd love to learn more about your ideas in this area.
In advance of the session, feel free to read and share our paper 'A Cultural Hypothesis', we're excited for it to reach as wide an audience as possible - to enable even more high performing organisations, teams and their allies.
Our Facilitator:
Dr Edd Vahid is the Head of Academy Football Operations at the Premier League. He joined the Premier League in 2022 after a successful 8-year period with one of English Football’s leading academy programmes at Southampton. Edd held various roles at Southampton FC including Academy Manager and Head of Coaching & Learning. Before moving into the world of football, Edd spent close to a decade working with talented athletes, coaches and support staff in Olympic and non-professional sports. This involved overseeing high performance scholarship and support programmes at the University of Bath. Edd subsequently served as a Senior Performance Lifestyle Advisor with the English Institute of Sport. This role focused on implementing individual and strategic solutions to lifestyle challenges experienced by talented and elite athletes. His PhD explored the theme of Talent Development.