SHIFTing Organizational Culture with Courage and Clarity: A Conversation with Dr. Nicole Yeldell Butts
- Dr. Eulanda Sanders
- 25 minutes ago
- 4 min read
At iNNOVATION Insights…We transform our clients' career journeys through the art of storytelling via our consulting, coaching, and career management services.
I first met Dr. Nicole Yeldell Butts during the height of the pandemic. We were both on a Zoom call designed for academic administrators in Hospitality Management, navigating the disruptions of 2020. Even then, her poise, insight, and unwavering sense of purpose stood out.
Years later, we reconnected over the launch of her book, SHIFT: A Five-Step Framework for Transforming Organizational Culture. I had the privilege of diving deeper into her journey and philosophy on the iNNOVATION Insights Podcast.
With over 25 years of experience in human resources, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and organizational change, Nicole has consistently worked at the intersection of values, leadership, and transformation. Her mission? To help organizations turn aspirational core values into lived day-to-day realities.
From Teaching to Transforming
Nicole did not begin her professional life in HR. Her career started in education, and her transition into human resources stemmed from a desire to help employees thrive. But she quickly discovered a difficult truth: even well-meaning HR professionals face systemic constraints and compliance demands that limit how people-centered their work can be.
What fueled her journey from that realization forward was a single question: How can organizations ensure their values are more than just words on a wall?
Her answer came in the form of a framework: SHIFT.
SHIFT: A Framework Born from Reflection
2020 was a catalytic year for many, and for Nicole, it solidified the need for a structured approach to cultural transformation. The murder of George Floyd and the global reckoning around racial injustice collided with the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Chief Diversity Officer, Nicole coached leaders through uncharted territory. Many were unmoored, unprepared, and overwhelmed. Simultaneously, her colleagues asked how she sustained her effectiveness and centeredness through emotionally demanding work.
This prompted what she calls an "intentional pause"—a purposeful period of reflection that ultimately led to the birth of the SHIFT framework. Rooted in her lived experience and her dissertation research, SHIFT offers leaders a step-by-step guide to intentionally rather than reactively transforming workplace culture.
Understanding the SHIFT Framework
SHIFT is an acronym that outlines the five steps for meaningful, values-driven cultural transformation:
S: Set Your North Star - Define what truly matters and why. It is not about where you are now, but where you want to be. This step involves identifying your guiding values and the internal and external barriers that might block them from being lived out.
H: Here – Know Where You Are - Assess your current state, but always in relation to your North Star. This avoids the trap of “data overload” and ensures that assessments are purposeful rather than overwhelming.
I: Illustrate Your Path Forward - Develop the concrete strategies, programming, tools, and success metrics needed to move from your current state to your desired culture.
F: Forge Ahead - Implement, but only after your foundation is clear. Too many organizations jump to action without alignment, resulting in busy work rather than meaningful change.
T: Take a Look Around - Pause to reflect. Have you arrived at your North Star? What did you learn? What needs to evolve or expand? Reflection is not a luxury—it is essential to sustaining progress.
Culture is Not Accidental
One of the most powerful insights from the conversation was this: Organizational culture exists whether you intentionally design it or not. Nicole challenges leaders to stop treating culture as something that “just happens” and start owning it. Leaders shape culture through decisions, behaviors, and reward systems—even unconsciously. SHIFT empowers them to do so with purpose.
She also warns against reducing DEI work to a standalone program. For culture to transform, equity and inclusion must be baked into the organizational fabric, not siloed off in a department or initiative. Innovation, she argues, comes not only from the big breakthroughs but also from micro-moments that shift perspective and behavior.
Personal Branding and Small-Scale Innovation
Towards the end of our conversation, we explored how the SHIFT framework applies beyond organizations. Dr. Butts shared that the same process can guide personal transformation and branding. Individuals can craft authentic, aligned personal brands by identifying who they want to be, assessing where they are now, and intentionally closing the gap.
We also discussed one of my favorite parts of the episode: Nicole’s “failure wall” innovation. In a company hesitant to take risks, she helped leaders share recent mistakes in a digital space to normalize learning from failure. This small act created a ripple effect that changed how employees viewed risk and openness. Innovation does not always need to be seismic. Sometimes, it starts with a question: “What did we learn?”
Innovation Requires Courage
Nicole beautifully defined innovation as the combination of consciousness and courage. Being clear about where you want to go—and having the courage to take steps despite fear or uncertainty—drives transformation. Without both, we risk stagnation.
This episode reminded me that personal or organizational transformation does not happen accidentally. It happens through clarity, intention, courageous action, and SHIFTing with courage and clarity.
To learn more about Dr. Nicole Butts and the SHIFT framework, visit www.nicolebutts.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Keep innovating!
Eulanda
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