CultureCon 2024: The Calm Before The Connection

Culture as an activity is a funny thing. One moment, it is planned through the veins of corporate America’s efforts as a building exercise meant to calm the talent waters, inspire innovation, or modulate change initiatives. Then, there are times when culture is lived in real-time among a cross-section of relative strangers. I entered the CultureCon ecosystem yesterday, fresh from a few flights zigzagging through the Midwest.

A quick drop of the bags, and I was transported into the first day of class, rather a pre-conference workshop about culture, engagement, perspective, and the power of story. Darin Eich, Ph.D. , a Design Thinking keynote speaker, facilitator, and trainer, led like-minded professionals coalescing around a central theme: connection builds culture, people are connectors, and sometimes a change in perspective can move mountains.

I referenced the proverbial first day of class because building culture through an engaged community of people, at the outset, can feel a bit like a time warp to a time when we were all students – nervous, excited, unsure, vulnerable, and maybe a bit hopeful.

As the session unfolded, the discussions among participants evolved from professional anecdotes to personal narratives of profound impact and significance. If I were to pen an independent film, the characters would undoubtedly be inspired by the compelling stories shared in the room today.

The culture taking shape was a blend of experiences and mind-bending stories, including that of a former learning and development professional in higher education, now applying similar principles in the manufacturing sector. However, what truly set this individual apart was his unexpected twist – he was the 2021 Axe Throwing World Champion and had just sold his axe-throwing company (imagine Top Golf but with axes, a scoreboard, and a healthy dose of adrenaline).

From axe throwing I hurled into several other compelling and deeply engaging people and conversations – from a learning and development executive who is a part of a dementia study, to a former Chief People Officer of a very well-known corporation looking to make big changes, for herself, after a professional career driven in the support of others.

I may not have been in a remote corner of the African continent or on a 12-hour flight to Dubai, but the stories emerging out of Madison are as rich and vibrant as any of the stories I've been lucky to capture this year.

The afternoon wrapped up though conversations spilled over illuminating the power of connection in business and in life.

CultureCon 2024 kicks off this morning and the energy is palpable. If yesterday is any indication I, and the participants, are in store for a day of stories, laughter, insight, and above all, connection.

In a world strife with division it is a welcomed reminder that culture, when working, is a living, breathing, ecosystem composed of diverse people who bring unique life experiences, in the company of others, to educate, collaborate, and bond over our core shared asset - we're all human.

As CultureCon posits - Make Connections. Grow Perspective. Change Culture.

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