Overview

As Varian sets its sights on new ways to help create a world without fear of cancer, they believe that their culture is a crucial part of that journey. 

We helped Varian create a cultural field guide that aims to articulate the culture Varian desires, make the abstract tangible, allow for personalization, and ultimately help connect all the facets of Varian into one actionable and relevant story. The goal was to facilitate new mindsets and behaviors that everyone is accountable for. As Varian moves towards new models for reaching patients, they strive to find new ways of working with each other and creating value. That all starts with the fundamental mindsets and behaviors in this field guide.

Process

Cultural artifacts are incredibly important for changing the way an organization behaves. While a book alone can't transform a culture, we used it as a starting point to raise awareness.

After the creation and distribution of the field guide, we worked with Varian to create other interactions that help to integrate the voice of the employees and build new habits for the way we work. For example, we installed interactive installations in offices where employees could share stories and give feedback on how the aspirational culture was helping (or hurting) employees deliver real impact for customers. We also worked to develop a digital toolkit that teams and individuals could use to help build the habits that will help sustain the culture Varian desires.

Payoff

While culture is always a living thing that needs to be monitored and adjusted, Varian is now doing so with the right foundation and understanding across the organization of how the right culture will help them achieve their long-term vision: a world without the fear of cancer.