Transforming Organizational Culture With The Recipe for Transformation: A Framework for Building Inclusive, High-Impact, People-First Workplaces
- Chrysta Wilson
- Apr 16
- 8 min read
After nearly two decades working as a consultant, facilitator, and coach, my focus has sharpened to one core area that touches everything else: organizational culture.
Perhaps it’s in my DNA. My mother was a Diversity Director at AT&T in the 1990s, working to create equitable outcomes for Black, Latino, women, and queer employees—at a time when inclusion for these groups was often seen as a novelty.
Her commitment to justice shaped me. And today, that legacy lives on in the work we do at Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting.
What I’ve Learned Across Sectors about Organizational Culture
As I’ve worked with organizations across industries—from government agencies to global nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies—I’ve noticed a consistent pattern:
Many leaders try to tackle culture issues through a values lens, but stop short of anchoring those values in outcomes and accountability.
They launch DEI initiatives, employee engagement efforts, or team retreats—but without a clear vision or shared understanding of why these efforts matter or how they move the organization closer to its mission.
That’s where we come in.
Our Proven Organizational Culture Change Approach: The Recipe for Transformation™ Framework
We’ve developed a proprietary approach to organizational culture change that we call the Recipe for Transformation™.
It’s not a checklist. It’s a guide to clarity, commitment, and care, designed to help organizations align their aspirations with action.
We’ve found that our clients often come to us in moments of change, tension, or disruption. They’re ready for solutions. We provide a framework that can be custom-tailored to their reality.
But first—we start with the Dream.
Why We Start with Dreaming
It’s easy to get stuck in tactics—especially when there’s pressure to act fast. But true transformation begins with vision.
The Dreaming Phase invites leaders to re-imagine and re-member what they’re doing this work for.
Before jumping into strategy or fixing broken systems, we help organizations pause and define what success looks like—on a human, cultural, and strategic level.
Research from change management expert John Kotter, along with our 17+ years in business, reinforces this:
A compelling vision is what galvanizes people, sets the tone for system change, and becomes the foundation for sustainable strategy.
The Three Phases of Culture Transformation
The Recipe for Transformation™ includes three essential phases or pillars, each designed to support the internal alignment and practical steps required for lasting impact:
Phase 1: Dream – Envisioning the Future
Before you try to “fix” anything, you have to know what you're fixing it for. That’s why the Dream phase is all about clarity & commitment to change.
At Wilson and Associates, we support organizations in defining their aspirational culture—the kind of workplace where people feel safe, seen, and supported to do their best work.
Dreaming Is a Strategic Imperative—Not Just a Feel-Good Exercise
Too often, leaders jump straight into tactics. They focus on solving problems without first pausing to ask the most important question: What are we actually building toward?
The Dream phase challenges that impulse. It asks you to slow down and imagine something better. When you articulate a bold, inclusive vision of your ideal culture, you create a north star—something your team can rally around. You ignite alignment. You build belief.
And no, this isn’t just about drafting a vision statement for the wall. This is about cultivating a felt sense of purpose that shapes decisions, guides behaviors, and fuels strategy.
In our work, we’ve found that dreaming doesn’t distract from the work. It is the work that sets everything else in motion.
The Dream pillar of the Recipe for Transformation™ framework centers around three core capacities that help organizations define where they’re going—and why it matters.
Dreaming is not a detour—it’s the foundation. It creates a organization's cultural North Star. Just like the North Star doesn’t shift position in the sky, your vision keeps you oriented when the work gets hard.
This pillar of the framework is focused on three capacity and strategy areas:
Culture Capacity #1: Envision the Future
Reflective Question: What does your ideal organizational culture look and feel like?
Action: Craft a shared vision statement that captures desired behaviors, systems, and workplace dynamics.
Culture Capacity #2: Cultivate the Commitment
Reflective Question: Who is genuinely committed to this culture shift—and why?Action: Build a coalition of culture champions who are willing to take ownership of the change.
Culture Capacity #3: Implement Meaningful Actions
Reflective Question: What’s one small action we can take now to demonstrate our vision?
Action: Identify and activate quick wins to show visible commitment to change.
Phase 2: Discover – Naming What’s True
Once a vision is established, the next step is understanding what’s been getting in the way.
At Wilson and Associates, we believe that truth-telling is the catalyst for culture change—and that’s exactly what the Discover phase is all about.
It’s where we invite organizations to take a critical and caring look at their current reality. We pause to ask: What dynamics are keeping us stuck? What truths have we been avoiding?
This isn’t about blame—it’s a clarity practice. Because to lead the change you’ve envisioned, you have to understand what’s been preventing it.
Sometimes that means identifying structural barriers—like misaligned systems, outdated norms, or missing feedback loops. Other times, it’s about upskilling—making sure leaders and teams actually have the competencies needed to create the culture they’re dreaming of.
And often, it requires a transparent and courageous examination of what is in order to move toward what could be.
This phase is where courage meets candor. It’s how we break the cycle of performative change and start designing solutions that are aligned with your values—not just your intentions.
The Discover Pillar of the Recipe for Transformation™ framework is anchored in three core capacity-building areas:
This step invites radical honesty: What systems, norms, or behaviors are undermining your aspirational culture? What truths have been avoided?We love bell hooks’ reminder: “The heart of justice is truth-telling—seeing ourselves and the world the way it is rather than the way we want it to be.”
Culture Capacity #4: Tell the Truth
Reflective Question: What truths about our culture have we been avoiding?
Action: Conduct listening sessions or assessments that invite candor and vulnerability.
Culture Capacity #5: Tend to the Roots
Reflective Question: What systemic issues are holding us back?
Action: Complete a root cause analysis to trace current outcomes back to policies, norms, or leadership behaviors.
Culture Capacity #6: Being and Becoming
Reflective Question: What do our leaders need to unlearn to truly lead inclusively?
Action: Invest in leadership development focused on empathy, emotional intelligence, and power-sharing.
Phase 3: Repair – Healing and Moving Forward
The word Repair carries a powerful double meaning in our work.
Sometimes, culture change means fixing broken processes or outdated systems that no longer support your goals. Other times, it calls for building entirely new structures that align with the dream you envisioned in Phase 1.
But more often, repair is about something deeper.
It’s the accountable, intentional work of moving people through harm and tension toward cultures of thriving, belonging, and equity—where everyone has a real opportunity to reach their highest potential.
And let’s be honest—this is often the hardest part.
When you’re navigating conflict, listening to employees describe how they’ve been harmed, and feeling unprepared to respond, it’s easy to wonder if you’re failing as a leader. That’s why this phase is grounded in care as much as it is in clarity.
“When you're facing conflict, employees describing how they've been harmed, and everyone feeling unprepared to find their way through, you can start to feel like a failure.
Chrysta has an exceptional way of helping us face the hard things without being hard on ourselves. Instead of a culture of blame and shame, she invites a culture and practice of reflection, personal accountability, and collective well-being. I feel more prepared after our time with her to intervene in conflicts when they emerge.” — M.M., Director of People and Operations
This is the work that builds trust. That moves teams from fracture to forward motion. That transforms pain into power.
Why Generative Conflict Belongs in Your Organizational Culture Strategy
Unresolved conflict is one of the hidden costs of poor workplace culture. Avoidance leads to resentment, disengagement, and burnout.
That’s why Repair also includes building the muscle to navigate tough conversations with courage and care. At Wilson and Associates, we support leaders in moving from avoidance to accountability through our.
These tools are practical, trauma-informed, and designed to reduce harm while strengthening collaboration—because when you face conflict well, you make culture stronger.
Because we see conflict emerge so frequently, and so often go unmanaged, we developed an entire service suite on conflict, collaboration and repair.
Repair is about accountability, restoration, and integrity. It’s not enough to name the harm—we must actively commit to making it right. At Wilson and Associates, we ask our clients to not just acknowledge harm, but to also resource the healing process with real time, dollars, and leadership energy.
The Repair Pillar of the Recipe for Transformation™ framework is anchored in three core capacity and strategy areas:
Culture Capacity #7: Learn (Unlearn) Together
Reflective Question: What harmful norms or habits must we leave behind?
Action: Host facilitated learning spaces that allow teams to explore bias, unlearn defaults, and adopt new behaviors.
Culture Capacity #8: Make It Right
Reflective Question: How will we acknowledge harm and take responsibility?
Action: Develop a restorative justice-informed plan to make amends and move forward with integrity.
Culture Capacity #9: Chart the Course
Reflective Question: What’s our roadmap for long-term change?
Action: Create an actionable, time-bound culture transformation plan with milestones, measures, and accountability partners.
Newest Pillar 4: Embody – Leading with the Wisdom of the Body
This final lever invites us to lead with our whole selves. In a culture that prioritizes cognitive labor, we risk missing the body’s wisdom—its cues, reactions, and truths. From skipped lunches to ignored gut feelings, disembodiment is often built into workplace culture.The Embody lever includes:
Culture Capacity #10: Mind Mapping & Soul Scribing
Reflective Question: What deeper truths surface when I slow down and listen to my body?
Action: Use somatic reflection and intuitive writing to access clarity and creativity.
Culture Capacity #11: Curate Sacred Stories
Reflective Question: Whose stories are being told, and whose are missing?
Action: Collect, honor, and elevate employee stories that reflect lived experience and organizational aspiration.
Culture Capacity #12: Engage the Body
Reflective Question: What does my body know before my mind catches up?
Action: Learn to recognize physical cues during moments of tension, decision-making, or disconnection—and use that data to lead with presence.
Key Takeaways for Leaders Ready to Transform Culture
Start with a Dream: Culture change must be grounded in a compelling, collective vision.
Foster Radical Honesty: We can’t fix what we won’t face.
Invest in Inclusive Leadership: Empathy, accountability, and courage are essential skills—not just nice-to-haves.
Engage in Repair: Healing and rebuilding trust must be part of your strategy, not an afterthought.
Ready to Partner on Organizational Culture?
If you're tired of surface-level fixes, if you're navigating team tension, and if you're craving a culture rooted in clarity, care, and accountability—We’re the team you call.
Engaging with these levers of change—Dream, Discover, and Repair—enables organizations to achieve their goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating workplaces where everyone can thrive
Book an Alignment Call here: www.wilson-and-associates.com/contact
About Wilson and Associates Coaching & Consulting
Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting partners with organizations to cultivate inclusive, high-impact, people-first workplaces.
Since 2008, we’ve supported leaders through strategic advisory, executive coaching, team retreats, and leadership development programs that center equity, collaboration, care, and accountability.
Our proprietary frameworks—including the Recipe for Transformation™, the S.C.A.L.E.™ Generative Conflict Method, and the Periodic Table of Great Culture Elements—help organizations move from intention to sustainable culture change.
We are a California-certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE), and proudly recognized as both a Minority and Woman Business Enterprise (MBE) (WBE). We are also WSOB certified.
Explore how we can support your team:
Email us at support@wilson-and-associates. com
Listen to our podcast Recipe for Transformation: https://www.wilson-and-associates.com/podcast
