Women's Leadership Forum Presents: Shaping an Inclusive Culture-Women's Leadership Forum Presents Shaping an Inclusive Culture Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This ACEC Women's Leadership Forum session, "Building an Inclusive Culture," featured Jessica Baker-Daley, President and CEO of HAAF, and Carrie Coker, Chief People Officer at VHB, sharing insights on cultivating inclusive workplace cultures in the AEC industry. Both leaders grew their careers internally, emphasizing the evolving definition of leadership toward empathy, transparency, and inclusivity. They highlighted that while founders set a caring tone decades ago, modern culture requires intentional leadership to adapt to changing workforce needs and technology.<br /><br />Key strategies include prioritizing communication, relationship-building, and empowering employees—especially young professionals—through leadership opportunities like employee resource groups (ERGs) and community initiatives. Both firms leverage ERGs to foster connectivity and develop leadership skills, noting events are often scheduled to minimize productivity impact while enhancing engagement.<br /><br />Core values are central to maintaining consistency across geographically dispersed offices, acting as behavioral guides embedded in evaluations, promotions, and organizational decisions. Culture ambassadors and storytelling help personalize these values firm-wide. Post-pandemic, hybrid work policies prioritize flexible, team-tailored schedules and encourage in-person connections through events and collaborative activities.<br /><br />Challenges addressed include managing senior leaders who dominate conversations on inclusivity, balancing employee involvement with workload, and making tough decisions when high-performing employees do not align with cultural values. Both emphasized candid, ongoing feedback and aligning rewards with cultural fit.<br /><br />For HR professionals aspiring to leadership roles, they recommend gaining business acumen, understanding financials, engaging industry peers, and balancing people and business strategies. Overall, building and sustaining an inclusive culture requires consistent leadership commitment, clear communication, and active employee engagement across all firm levels.

Keywords

Inclusive Culture

Leadership Development

Employee Resource Groups

Workplace Empathy

AEC Industry

Hybrid Work Policies

Core Values

Employee Engagement

Leadership Strategies

Organizational Culture