The Opportunity
HBS IT strives to create an organizational culture that promotes belonging and engagement for all of its employees so that they are inspired and empowered to do their best work and be their best selves at work. With the launch of the latest strategic plan, HBS IT wanted to dedicate an effort to building a more intentional program to engage and support the organization in advancing this work and so this initiative was born.
The Solution
A Task Force was formed in November 2022 with the goal to improve cultural competency and community engagement within HBS IT. The Task Force is comprised of HBS IT staff of various departments and backgrounds, who are passionate about effecting positive change within the organization.
Throughout 2023, the Task Force worked together to build an action plan that would guide how we introduce and continue to drive forward various activities for staff in HBS IT to come together and learn from each other. This included workstreams focused on community engagement, talent management, and technology and measurement. The team began executing against the action plan formally in 2024, with key activities like launching a website taking place earlier in the project. They have also forged relationships with the overarching HBS Office for Community and Culture and will continue to partner with them to ensure alignment of IT’s work with the School’s larger program.
The Impact & Outcomes
Since implementation and operationalization, the Task Force has created an action plan that includes educational opportunities, event planning, and resource curation. The organization’s trained group of 15 discussion facilitators have been folded into the Task Force with the intention of broadening the scope of topics that allow IT team members to share their perspectives and impressions of various issues. The team also added a permanent section in the HBS IT newsletter, SoundBytes, to promote community events and learning opportunities across HBS and HU.