NAME: Kibibi Springs

OCCUPATION: Marketing Communication Professional

I know a lot about organizations. Not only did I work for major corporations for years as an employee, but I also continue to work with them now as a consultant on programs to improve organizations. Although lots of consultants claim to be able to improve performance and profitability, the work I do focuses on changing the culture and overall wellness of the organization. Basically, we teach professionals how to redesign their habits and communication skills to improve their quality of life within the structure of the organization and within the framework of a healthy lifestyle. When they learn to engage in low-stress, healthy behaviors, they—seemingly miraculously!—become happier and more productive.

As I ascended the corporate ladder, I found that I couldn’t be happy if my job was my whole identity. I’d seen so many people lose their health, their families, and even their sanity because they had no work–life balance. I decided to become an entrepreneur and help those people. I had an undergraduate degree in communication and then earned a master’s in consumer and organizational psychology where I focused on the intersection between rising organizational health care costs and the health impacts of uncivil behavior in the workplace. With this combination of strengths, I have been able to work with companies to enact large and small “culture change programs.”

Most companies today are concerned about their culture. They want to find and retain good workers. They want to be productive and creative. They want (and need) to adapt to a changing world and new technologies. Younger organizations that come to me are usually in touch with these goals; they ask for help in sustaining the positives and the strong dynamics. I work with both management and employees to develop more sustainable lifestyle habits and more collaboration and relationship skills—which can even include emotional intelligence training.

Bigger, older organizations often come to me in crisis. Things have gone wrong and they are not sure why. In these cases, I have to analyze the entire organization to find the root(s) of the problem. The good news is that they came to me—which means they are open to change! If even one person in the organization says, “We are really bad at ‘x’; we need some help,” it is an indication that they are willing to take steps to improve the situation. I often start with management in these situations, interviewing them about goals and culture and looking for the commonality of the core groups. Once I have an understanding of the current culture, I teach them how to be more positive, how to relax, how to ask questions, and how to listen. I help them choose behaviors that advance their personal and professional goals within the framework of a healthy lifestyle—and enable them to pass these on to their workforce.

I encourage everyone to find an organization that employs the whole person—one that is positive about its people as well as its products.