The Experience-Culture Connection: Unlocking Performance, Purpose, and Belonging

Employee experience and organizational culture are deeply connected, but they aren't the same thing. Experience is shaped by the everyday moments that make employees feel valued, connected to purpose and empowered to contribute. Culture is what those experiences collectively create and reinforce.

Drawing on her leadership experience with the Atlanta Braves, DeRetta Cole Rhodes will explore how intentional employee experiences can strengthen purpose, belonging and performance, and help turn employees into ambassadors for the culture an organization wants to build.

The Experience-Culture Connection explores the powerful relationship between employee experience and organizational culture. Participants will gain insights into how every touchpoint in the employee journey influences trust, engagement, retention, and performance. Through practical examples and actionable strategies, leaders will learn how to create experiences that foster belonging, strengthen culture, and unlock the full potential of their people and organizations. 

In this session, you will learn 
•    Understand the Connection Between Experience and Culture- Distinguish between employee experience and organizational culture and understand how everyday experiences shape and reinforce culture. 
•    Strengthen Purpose and Connection- Create experiences that help employees understand why their work matters and feel connected to the organization and one another. 
•    Build a Culture of Belonging- Create the conditions where employees feel valued, included and empowered to contribute. 
•    Lead Culture Through Everyday Actions- Recognize how leadership behaviors, interactions and decisions shape the employee experience and reinforce culture every day. 
•    Measure What Matters- Identify meaningful signals of experience, belonging and connection to understand whether the culture employees experience matches the culture the organization intends to create.  

Great cultures don't happen by accident. They are created through intentional employee experiences that foster performance, reinforce purpose, and cultivate a deep sense of belonging. When organizations invest in experience, culture becomes a true competitive advantage.