PUBLIC POWER UTILITY
Making values real: Turning culture into action
To deliver on an ambitious, multi-year strategy, a public power utility evolved how work gets done—turning culture into a driver of execution and earning a larger role in the nation’s energy future.
of employees participate in culture conversations, unprecedented levels of engagement for the organization
Point increase in employees’ understanding of the values and behavioral standards
Point increase in employees feeling like one team
THE CHALLENGE
New York’s power system is being pushed to do more than ever—expand capacity, integrate renewables, and keep costs in check at the same time. At the nation’s largest state public power agency, that pressure took shape in a bold, ten-year strategy to meet rising demand while balancing affordability, reliability, and New York’s clean energy goals.
On paper, the strategy was clear. Inside the organization, it raised a different set of questions. When priorities collide, how do people decide what matters most? Where does work break down between teams, and what does it take to fix it? What would it look like to truly operate as one organization?
The moment strategy became reality
The organization had a strong foundation—deep pride in its mission, a legacy of public service, and a track record of delivering. But delivering the strategy would require something different: faster decisions, clearer prioritization, tighter coordination and collaboration across functional groups. The strategy didn’t just require new priorities. It required new ways of working.
KEY SERVICES
THE SHIFT
This could have just been words
As leaders committed to refreshing the organization’s values, the initial instinct was to treat it as a communications effort. Define the values. Roll them out. Move on. The Head of HR saw the risk immediately. Without employee involvement, the organization would get a set of well-written statements—and very little change in how decisions were made or work got done.
She chose a different path. Instead of declaring the culture, the organization would build it with its people and then use it to reshape how the organization operated.
Strategy Muse was brought in to help make that shift real.
THE APPROACH
Turning values into how work gets done
This went beyond a campaign. It was a multi-year effort to align behavior with strategy.
Start with leadership.
We worked with the executive team across four off-sites to reset how leaders showed up with each other. These weren’t alignment meetings. They were working sessions—where leaders confronted tradeoffs, reflected on their own leadership, and made visible commitments about how they would operate differently. The conversation didn’t end when the sessions did.
Build it with the people doing the work.
In a series of digital conversations, more than 800 employees shared what was important to how they worked—where things moved and stalled; where they felt supported and where collaboration broke down. Those insights became the foundation for a set of values rooted in both aspiration and truth. Senior leaders pressure-tested them to ensure they could hold up in real decisions.
Make it visible and human.
The “Powered from Within” visual campaign shifted the story the organization told about itself. Not abstract values, but real people doing the work—what it takes, where it’s hard, and why it matters. The culture became something employees could see themselves in.
Create shared experiences.
Enterprise-wide moments—from an organization-wide trivia contest to “words and actions” team workshops—demystified “culture” and tied individual behaviors to the strategy. We supported leaders with training, tools and team experiences to connect strategy, values, and day-to-day decisions. The work moved from words to habits.
I often need to remind myself that Strategy Muse is an extension of our team, not actually on our team! Our partnership is one of collaboration, trust and shared purpose.
Director, Internal & Executive Communications
THE RESULTS
Successful shifts showed up quickly
70%
of employees participate in culture conversations, unprecedented levels of engagement for the organization
+10
Point increase in understanding of the values and behavioral standards
+8
Point increase in employees feeling like one team
+7
Point increase in understanding of strategic goals
Alignment improved. Decisions moved faster. Employees across the organization worked more in sync.
As the organization’s performance continued to strengthen, New York State expanded its mandate—most recently increasing its role in renewable and nuclear energy—signaling confidence in its ability to deliver on what the strategy required.
Beyond metrics
was a more fundamental shift
THE TAKEAWAY
Culture makes action possible
Culture doesn’t sit alone.
When people help shape it, see themselves in it, and use it to make real decisions, culture becomes more than something you talk about. It becomes how the organization moves under pressure.
