I would like to recommend this to many executive people who sit on boards and decision making committees who are emotionally absent and display avoidance detachment when it comes to challenging the status quo!
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Transforming NHS Culture: A Journey with TCM’s Culture Catalysts™

Serving NHS Integrated Care Systems

When the NHS wanted to revitalise organisational culture across its Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), they partnered with us at TCM’s People & Culture Consulting. Together, we created something special – a programme that would empower leaders to nurture meaningful change within their teams and organisations.

What emerged from this collaboration was our Culture Catalysts™ workshops – a series of engaging 2-day sessions delivered to four cohorts of passionate NHS leaders from across the UK. We complemented these with thoughtful coaching skills training to help these leaders bring their learning to life.

The Challenge We Faced Together

The NHS landscape is wonderfully diverse yet complex. The 42 ICSs in England are local partnerships that bring health and care organisations together to develop shared plans and joined-up services with each ICS having its own unique character, challenges, and people. Many managers confided that they felt unable to influence the cultural climate around them, despite seeing opportunities where small changes could make a big difference to how their teams experienced work.

There was certainly a hunger for positive change (research shows 40% of organisations are actively trying to transform workplace culture), but turning those good intentions into everyday reality was proving elusive. How could we bridge that gap between aspiration and experience?

The Heart of Being a Culture Catalyst

At its essence, a Culture Catalyst is someone who doesn’t wait for permission to create positive change. They’re the quiet innovators who understand that cultural transformation doesn’t just flow from the top down – it also grows from individual conversations, relationships, and moments of connection.

Our programme guides these catalysts to:

  • Connect deeply with their organisation’s purpose and values
  • Create spaces where everyone feels responsible for the team atmosphere
  • Guide their people through transitions with empathy and clarity
  • Bring values to life through everyday behaviours and meaningful conversations
  • Transform conflict into opportunity through compassionate dialogue
  • Share their successes so that positive practices can spread organically

Our Approach: The Culture Catalysts™ Journey

Guided by our CEO David Liddle and our wonderful Transformation Consultant Carol Hipkiss Spencer, the Culture Catalysts™ programme created a warm, collaborative space where NHS leaders could collaborate, ideate, and upskill together.

Over our two days together for each cohort, we created a rich learning experience:

  • Day 1: We explored the foundations of transformational culture – discovering the Transformational Culture Model, the 8 enablers of positive change, and the 7Cs that bring it all to life. We took time to understand how purpose, values, and evidence-based approaches create the foundation for cultural growth.
  • Day 2: We rolled up our sleeves and got practical – introducing the Culture Flow System, trying out culture mapping techniques, exploring change models, practicing coaching conversations, and learning how to measure progress through the Transformational Culture Assessment (TCA).

Throughout, we offered parallel coaching skills training, creating a safe space for leaders to practice the conversations that would help their teams embrace new ways of working.

The Impact: What Our Participants Shared

The warmth and enthusiasm in the feedback we received was truly heartwarming:

“It has been energising under the expert facilitation of David and aided by Carol’s calm wisdom on coaching. The opportunity to discuss with colleagues the issues of making culture changes has been insightful. I found it engaging with great materials and information. Best course I’ve attended for sometime.” – Gail Parry

“I found this course interesting and thought provoking. I loved the expertise of the team and their personal delivery style, how it was interactive. I would like to recommend this to many executive people who sit on boards and decision making committees who are emotionally absent and display avoidance detachment when it comes to challenging the status quo!” – Zed Shah

What touched our participants most deeply were:

  • Practical tools they could use right away: “Practical steps to take in implementing our cultural transformation journey, networking, 7Cs, systemic coaching etc.” – Yvonne Egbuna
  • The community they built together: “I’ve built a great network of leaders from a variety of NHS organisations across the country. I’ve been reassured in parts and reinvigorated to continue to challenge existing culture and begin transformation.” – Joshua Willey
  • The blend of evidence and experience: “Essential connection of the research and evidence base with practice based experience of the Trainers, developed into an overarching framework to influence the culture and organisational/systemic practices.” – Heidi Napier

New Possibilities Emerging

What emerged from our time together was a wealth of new possibilities:

  1. A deeper understanding of what makes a transformational culture work
  2. A toolkit of practical approaches for nurturing positive change
  3. A newfound confidence in gently challenging old patterns and encouraging new ones
  4. A community of like-minded colleagues for ongoing support and inspiration
  5. Personalised plans that respected the uniqueness of each organisation
  6. New ways of having conversations that would support teams through change

Most importantly, our participants discovered that creating change didn’t require grand gestures or formal authority. As Culture Catalysts, they could begin making a difference immediately, creating little pockets of transformation that would gradually spread and connect.

Start Your Culture Transformation Journey

Is your organisation ready to cultivate a culture that’s fair, just, inclusive, sustainable, and brings out the best in your people? Our Culture Catalysts™ programme offers the tools and support to help your transformation take root and flourish. Remember, you don’t need to wait for a grand announcement or leadership mandate to begin. By becoming a Culture Catalyst yourself, you can start creating positive change today – changes that, when developed alongside others, will grow into something truly remarkable.

Our programme is available for in-house delivery for groups of six or more, and we’d love to tailor it to the unique needs of your organisation.