Leadership Development & Culture Cohesion for Novartis Canada

Oct 2022 - Jan 2024

THE CONTEXT

A global healthcare leader, Novartis Canada is committed to reimagining medicine and advancing innovation in service of patients. With a large and diverse team navigating rapid change and complex organizational structures, Novartis engaged us to support alignment, leadership growth, and culture-building during a time of transition.

This was a project about empowering a high-performance team by deepening trust, bridging siloes, and co-creating the future with intention.

THE ASK

In October 2022, Novartis Canada approached us to design a Visioning Retreat for their Executive Team. That initial engagement evolved into a 15-month partnership that expanded across five departments. The mandate included:

  • Leadership development grounded in conscious, relational practices

  • Post-merger integration and team alignment

  • Culture assessments to understand lived experiences across teams

  • Strategic planning and facilitation for internal initiatives

  • Intentional, trust-based team-building

The Executive Team and their respective team leads were seeking a strategic visioning and facilitation partner who could meet the pace and pressure of a high-performance culture while holding space for reflection, candor, and deeper human connection.

OUR APPROACH

How to move fast while communicating with care across departments, building trust through decision-making and nurturing a culture of learning.

This engagement surfaced an organizational tension (one we’ve witnessed many times when working with high-performing teams): the need to move fast while also making time for connection, clarity, and care. Some team members were navigating transition fatigue, siloed communication, and uncertainty following a merger. Others were eager to build shared vision, but needed support in establishing the process to do so across roles and functions.

We recognized that real transformation would require slowing down to listen — not only to strategic needs, but to emotional truths and team dynamics shaping the culture beneath the surface.

THE NEW ROOM SOLUTION

Over 15 months, we designed and facilitated a wide range of engagements tailored to the evolving needs of the Novartis Canada team:

Activations and consulting efforts included:

  • Executive Retreats centered on vision, cohesion, and leadership alignment

  • Cross-department Culture Assessments through interviews and listening sessions

  • Team-Building Workshops that prioritized relational trust and candid dialogue

  • Strategic Planning Labs to develop collaborative responses to post-merger realities

  • Leadership Capacity-Building through learning sessions and coaching moments

  • Design and Facilitation of Feedback Loops to increase internal transparency

Scope & reach of our work:

  • 100+ team members engaged across levels and departments

  • 10+ facilitated sessions across a 15-month period

  • Strategy documents and insights delivered to guide implementation

  • Deep integration into the rhythm of internal change processes

THE IMPACT & RESULTS

As a result of this partnership, Novartis Canada was able to:

  • Implement more inclusive, responsive strategic planning processes

  • Strengthen cross-department relationships and reduce siloed communication

  • Develop clearer, more values-aligned leadership practices

  • Build trust and shared culture post-merger

  • Equip leaders with tools and language to lead change collaboratively

  • Grow decision-makers capacity to receive and integrate feedback

  • Co-create cultural agreements for a newly merged department

While some outcomes were best felt in the room, others were clearly seen: leaders reported improved team alignment, more open conversations, and greater confidence in navigating complex dynamics.

Let’s explore how we can support your organization in creating ripples of real change.