Building Culture in a Post-Merger

Coffman Engineers

The Story

Coffman Engineers are an engineering consulting firm serving large and small projects. Their projects include commercial, retail, institutional, government, industrial, and project/construction management. Their Los Angeles office recently went through an acquisition of another firm, expanding their existing capabilities. Coffman Engineers sought to create one culture, in line with their office and firm's mission, vision and values. They looked to build stronger trust amongst the leadership team and create connections across different offices and disciplines.

Our Approach

In collaboration with Coffman Engineers, ADAPTOVATE ran a two-day workshop where the team started out as strangers and finished as a cohesive group. The LA office teams participated in a two-day workshop to:

Day 1 — Leadership team: Align on goals and build trust

The leadership team shared how their personal values show up every day through their behaviors and the behavioral expectations they set with their teams
Collectively, the leadership team agreed on the most important behaviors that would help drive towards "one culture"
They aligned and prioritized the most important cultural Objective and Key Results (OKRs)

Day 2 — LA office teams: Getting to know each other

Based on the cultural OKRs, the team (spanning across 5 generations) ideated on ways to achieve the OKRs which the leadership team helped prioritize
Learned about each other's personalities and working styles and shared examples of what has worked and what has not in their culture
The teams learned how to break down silos, ask for help, and work with new people in a fun and challenging Lego activity

Outcomes

As a result of the 2-day collaborative workshop, Coffman Engineers' LA office is already seeing increased engagement and collaboration across offices, contributing to a stronger, unified post-merger culture. The leadership team has strengthened their understanding of shared values and committed to incorporating better behaviors, fostering greater trust and a sense of unity. Teams across generations and disciplines are now working together more effectively, breaking down silos, and leveraging each other's strengths.