CHANGE MANAGEMENT
CULTURE TRANSFORMATION

Arapahoe Libraries’ Journey to a Thriving Workplace Culture

Building a Culture of Kindness

Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado partnered with Goodthink to enhance workplace culture and to understand and improve organizational issues.  

  • Organizational Research and Surveys: The engagement began with organizational research and a survey to gather insights into employee experiences and perceptions, which informed actionable recommendations for Arapahoe Library’s cultural initiatives. 
  • Staff Community Day and Learning Sessions: Insights from the research shaped the Staff Community Day, where targeted sessions such as stress management and a creative forum for idea-sharing were designed to support cultural change.
  • Positive Feedback and Results: Participants appreciated the structured sessions, opportunities to contribute ideas, and the chance to connect with colleagues, which enhanced their professional growth and satisfaction. Goodthink’s work played a crucial role for creating a Culture of Kindness.
Goodthink Services Provided
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
CULTURE CHANGE
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

Client Overview

Arapahoe Libraries, a network of eight libraries in Arapahoe County, Colorado, sought to enhance its workplace culture by addressing challenges related to employee interactions. Committed to fostering a more respectful and thriving work environment, ALD partnered with us to understand its cultural dynamics and build a “Culture of Kindness.” 

Challenge

Recognizing the need for a more supportive workplace, Arapahoe Libraries aimed to transform its organizational culture and to create an environment where collaboration and mutual respect could flourish. The organization was eager to partner with us to uncover insights that would guide them in cultivating a supportive and inclusive atmosphere for all staff. 

Visual representation of a workplace culture initiative focused on kindness, featuring staff engagement and connection-building activities.

Project Scope

Our engagement began with organizational research aimed at uncovering the dynamics influencing employee behaviors and perceptions across hierarchy levels and locations. This included conducting client-specific focus group interviews and implementing an organization-wide survey to collect candid insights about the employee experience. 

Armed with this data, we developed actionable recommendations that would guide ALD’s initiatives moving forward.  A crucial element of our scope was to design the content and learning opportunities for ALD’s annual Staff Community Day.

Image of a culture of kindness event showcasing staff engagement in stress management and connection-building activities.
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A group of people engage in conversation around a table at a busy event, fostering a culture of kindness and inclusivity.
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A man engages with a group, emphasizing teamwork and inclusivity in a session focused on enhancing workplace culture.
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Visual representation of a workplace culture initiative focused on kindness, featuring staff engagement and connection-building activities.
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*Note: the actual findings of this workshop are not disclosed in any detail to protect the intellectual property of its participants.

Staff Community Day as Change Accelerator

Insights from the focus groups and the survey fundamentally reshaped the direction of the Staff Community Day. We crafted a comprehensive event agenda that aligned with the staff’s needs and organizational goals, including clear Communication and Accountability, Connection, and Employee Support. Our team not only designed the content but also presented the research findings, establishing credibility and trust within the organization. 

Learning Opportunities 

To support the cultural change, we designed targeted sessions for staff, ensuring they felt seen and heard. Notable initiatives included: 

A Stress Management Session

Aimed at improving Empathy & Support: Led by a psychologist, this session focused on recognizing the challenges that employees face on an everyday basis and giving them techniques to deal with stress effectively and seeking support.  

“Story of You” Exercise

Aimed at fostering Connection and reducing Assumptions: This workshop aimed to enhance connection among staff members and celebrate diverse experiences. 

Spark-Tank Session

Aimed at improving Communication & Accountability: A creative forum where employees could contribute ideas and solutions for ongoing challenges. 

Scenario Drafting & Presentation

Synthesize the outcomes of the workshop into actionable scenarios, followed by crafting and presenting a detailed scenario planning document to Blue Rhino’s leadership.

Leadership Coaching and Internal Communications

Throughout the project, we collaborated closely with ALD’s leadership team, including the Director of People Services, its DEI Manager, and the Executive Director. Our coaching included: 

Guiding critical decisions around internal communications and initiatives. 

Preparing the Chief Executive to deliver an engaging speech at the Staff Community Day. 

Results and Feedback

The feedback from participants highlighted the success of the initiatives: 

Engagement and Contribution: Staff appreciated the opportunity to contribute ideas, expressing a desire to replicate the process for future challenges. 

“The Spark Tank was a really great experience and opportunity to have staff contribute ideas.  I hope we can find a way to recreate this process so that staff can continue to do this for other challenges and issues.” 

Leadership Transparency: Employees noted a positive shift in leadership’s willingness to acknowledge past mistakes, enhancing trust in the organization. 

“In the past, organizational leadership has been unwilling to acknowledge mistakes and I appreciated that this was different this year. I think overall it was good to have worked with an outside organization on planning and content, I think the final product was better and more cohesive than it has been in past years.” 

Streamlined Experience: Participants valued the structured sessions, allowing them to engage fully without the stress of choosing among competing topics. 

“All of the sessions were fantastic, and I appreciated being able to attend all three without having to pick from additional topics (very streamlined) or which order to attend the sessions.” 

Networking and Connection: Many staff members reported enjoying the chance to connect with colleagues from different branches, sharing inspiring stories and fostering camaraderie. 

“I enjoyed getting to know staff members through the Connection & Curiosity exercise, and talking with other branches staff socially, at meals, etc. The session with the psychologist who had great info on how to deal with stressful interactions with coworkers and patrons was excellent. Venue and meals, snacks were very good!” 

Professional Development & Employee Appreciation: Overall, participants felt valued and recognized for their contributions, enhancing their professional growth. 

“Wonderful work! A positive for me was being able to network with staff in other departments and library locations. I really enjoyed the “stories” session, as I had the pleasure of getting to know three staff members with really inspiring life stories and career paths. I also felt very valued as an employee. Thank you for investing in our professional growth and development.” 

Conclusion

Through a data-driven approach and expertly designed learning opportunities, we successfully assisted the Arapahoe Libraries in initiating a transformative journey toward a Culture of Kindness. By taking the lead on event content and collaborating closely with leadership, we ensured that the Staff Community Day effectively addressed immediate challenges while equipping the organization with the tools necessary for sustained cultural change. By investing in its employees, ALD is on a path to becoming a more inclusive, respectful, and thriving workplace. People Director Caroline Heinselman said “Your hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed, and it truly made a difference in creating a memorable experience for our employees.” 

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