Culture Shift

The NWS Culture Shift

The NWS is undergoing a Culture Shift in alignment with the NWS People Priority!
There are many threads being pulled to improve culture.
The end result is a healthier culture across all offices to better support our workforce and meeting of the mission.
It will take all of us to achieve this goal!

Culture Shift Agency-Wide

NWS People Priority Initiatives

Within this spreadsheet you will find a fairly comprehensive list of the People Priority initiatives happening agency wide to improve the culture and the employee experience. It is the goal that we have a healthy workplace culture that supports thriving employees which will result in the NWS better meeting the mission.

Culture Shift at the Grassroots

OHB final linked.pdf

Organizational Health Blueprint

A plan for improving the organizational health and culture of the National Weather Service. It follows on the success of the prior Organizational Health Action Plan and is the next iteration of this effort. The Blueprint articulates how the NWS will foster, support, and improve organizational health, which McKinsey and Co. defines as “the organization’s ability to align around a common vision, execute against that vision effectively, and renew itself through innovation and creative thinking.” The Blueprint is drawn from Organizational Health Index (OHI) survey results from 2020, focusing on areas for improvement based on scores down to the individual office level. It is a framework to improve the employee experience and sustain a highly motivated workforce who enjoy their work as part of their life.

Blueprint Focus Area Best Practices

Transparency & Openness

Employee Wellness & Development

Knowledge Sharing & Collaboration

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

Culture Resources for Managers

Organizational Culture Guide for Field Managers

This guide includes onboarding tips for new managers, organizational culture best practices, a guide to hiring, and more. It was developed by NWS managers as part of a NOAA Rotational Assignment Program (NRAP) part-time assignment with the NWS Office of Organizational Excellence to focus on organizational health and culture in the NWS.

Org. Culture Best Practices for Managers

The goal of this document is to help managers identify best practices and behaviors they can incorporate in their daily lives that will set the tone for healthier office cultures that will result in employees thriving in great workplace environments and the NWS better meeting its mission.

Common Management Pitfalls and How to Effectively Address Them

This document is meant to serve as a resource that managers can refer to, both when they are new in their supervisory role as well as when they encounter challenges along the way. It was developed by NWS managers as part of an NRAP part-time assignment with the NWS Office of Organizational Excellence.

Culture-focused Interview Questions and Topics

The goal of this document is to assist in finding the right addition to your office by providing interview questions that gauge an applicant’s level of attention to an office’s or organization’s culture. It was developed by NWS managers as part of an NRAP part-time assignment with the NWS Office of Organizational Excellence.

Other Culture Resources

Culture Discussion Guidance

This resource offers guidance for inclusive "culture" discussions.

DEIA Element Practices

Here are specific examples of how the DEIA element can be fulfilled.

Local Office Culture Shift Activities

Blueprint Dashboard

Sharing Culture Practices/Activities across the agency!

This Dashboard allows you to see, in real time, the progress of all offices towards completion of the Blueprint metric. The REAL takeaway should be the distribution of the Blueprint Focus Areas and what offices are doing to advance their culture as it relates to the focus areas selected.

Team Building Activities

National Compliment Day!

National Compliment Day is Jan. 24th. WFO FFC/SERFC developed a "compliment wall" where the staff could write anonymous compliments to their coworkers.

Generational Workshop

WFO La Crosse hosted a Generational Workshop that created an opportunity for education and awareness on generational preferences.

Restorative Breaks

Many offices are utilizing various restorative break techniques to help restore the mind and body for continued work. Ideas: coloring book, games, walking, reading, etc.

Onboarding/New Employees

WFO Tulsa hosted a game night at Dave and Busters for the new meteorologists which helps build relations and team building.

Other Culture Activity Ideas

Inspiration Wall - employees write their favorite inspiration or mindfulness quote on the sticky note.
Pets of the Office - Connect your coworkers with their pets game. See the example from WFO Gray, from Sarah Jamison, Senior Service Hydrologist.