Cultural identity is a potent force. It is the drumbeat that informs our principles and our decision-making, the bedrock of our ambitions and goals, and the glue that binds us together as colleagues and workmates.

But, in a fast-changing global business environment, how do you establish a single, unifying cultural identity in a diverse, sprawling international corporation with employees from a world of different backgrounds and heritages?

Finding a solution to that conundrum is a preoccupation for some of the world’s biggest companies. It’s why Facebook became Meta, and why Google dedicates so much effort and so many resources into creating the ideal conditions for productivity and profit.

Corporate identity is particularly important for the young employees who represent a company’s future. Research indicates that millennials value culture and purpose above almost anything else when deciding who to work for. For businesses, therefore, a lack of good culture can mean losing out in the recruiting war. As Betty Thompson, Chief People Officer with global consultancy company Booz Allen Hamilton, remarked: “Culture is what motivates and retains talented people.”

Creating a cultural journey

CLP – one of the largest investor-owned power company with employees spreading across Asia Pacific – has embarked on an ambitious journey to become a Utility of the Future, harnessing opportunities presented by the energy transition and digital disruption. In the pursuit of its Climate Vision 2050, the company has invested in energy transition, refreshing its common culture as a roadmap facilitating change and growth.

Culture Jam – a three-day online collaboration event in September brought together thousands of employees from Hong Kong and Mainland China – was a milestone on that journey and a major step towards strengthening a One CLP culture to accelerate collective efforts towards its ambitious Climate Vision 2050.

More than 6,000 employees participated in lively online interactions with high curiosity, generating more than 30,000 comments and likes in the first and largest employee engagement of its kind, and successfully breaking down traditional boundaries of organisations and geography.

Employees swapped ideas and opinions dynamically across levels and functions in the event which connected people from seven regions of Mainland China and more than 15 different Hong Kong locations. The learning of the Culture Jam would inform and shape actions going forward.

Making every voice heard

As CLP goes through a period of high change, it is investing in its people and culture that would further empower a multi-generational workforce and nurture inclusion, enabling everyone to do their best and grow with CLP.

The aim of Culture Jam is to co-create with our colleagues an inspiring future workplace that is uniquely ours – one that drives personal growth, people connection and business success, explains Betty Chan, Director – Human Resources.

“We wanted to listen to the voice of everyone regardless of what job they do,” she says. “Whether they are working at the shop floor or at the executive office, everyone has a voice in this,” she adds.

By creating an engaging workplace, CLP aims to enable its people to harness more from innovation and digitalisation, capturing opportunities brought by decarbonisation and the energy transition for its customers and stakeholders. “That’s what we tried to achieve with Culture Jam.”

Culture Jam was much more than just a one-off listening exercise, Betty emphasises. “It symbolised a new way of working, creating a more curious and open workplace that would foster what essential to CLP’s success – continuous learning and agility, as we move towards a sustainable future,” she stresses.

The whole fabric of being a learning organisation is the ultimate sustainability for everyone. “If we can create a learning organisation with people who are ambitious, curious and have a desire to make a difference, we are more likely to deliver resilient performance time and again,” she says.

“That way, no matter what is thrown at us, we will have an agile ecosystem of people listening, learning and evolving – an organic workforce that is outcome-focussed and purpose-led.”

Unleashing frank perspectives

Culture Jam was an enlightening and eye-opening experience for many employees, tearing down barriers and introducing them in many cases to colleagues in different locations and departments who they would never normally interact with. It was also the first time CLP engaged with both its employees in Hong Kong and in Mainland China in a live setting concurrently.

The reaction of employees to the experience was overwhelmingly positive and surprisingly frank. “There was a lot of curiosity and learning,” Betty says, adding that people were super-honest demanding better communication across functions and business units and across geographies.

Throughout the three days, employees spoke openly about things that were not working as well as they should, as well as the things that made them feel proud to be part of the CLP family. The exercise highlighted the unique differences and experiences of employees in different locations and departments but also revealed unexpected similarities. “We have more in common than we realise, and we can all embrace one culture,” Betty concludes.

A summary of the Culture Jam’s findings is now being prepared for top management by Betty and her colleagues who will send it with the message: “Now how are you going to use your culture to drive your business success? The floor is yours.”

Growing from good to great

A unified cultural identity will be at the core of CLP’s transformation into a Utility of the Future – this identity and new ways of working will be reinforced by the new physical design of our new headquarters in Kai Tak that will reflect the scale of its ambitions.

“Our journey of change and learning has begun and will continue. We are enabling our people to become the best they can be and be the energy of change, such that we can deliver our Climate Vision 2050 in a meaningful way and at pace,” she concludes.