Dear business leaders,

Culture isn’t a mystery-it’s a system. But too often, organizations treat it like a buzzword, not a business driver. At Summit Consulting, we take a different approach. Using the VAKS Model-Values, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills-we help organizations make culture actionable, measurable, and aligned with strategy.

Let me show you how we do it.

Step 1: Define the values that drive success

Values aren’t posters on the wall-they’re the principles that shape behavior. The first step in the VAKS model is working with leadership to define or refine your organization’s core values.

When we partnered with a Tier 1 financial institution in Uganda, they had generic values that no one could connect to daily work. We facilitated workshops with their leadership team to distill the values that truly mattered-principles like “Customer empathy,” “Collaboration,” and “Accountability.” These weren’t abstract ideals; they were tied directly to their strategy of improving customer retention and operational efficiency.

Step 2: Shift attitudes to match the vision

Values mean nothing if people don’t believe in them. That’s why we focus on attitudes-helping teams understand why these values matter and how they contribute to organizational success.

For the financial institution, employee surveys revealed a culture of mistrust and fear of failure. Our team conducted interactive sessions to address these attitudes, using real-world examples of how embracing collaboration and accountability had transformed similar organizations. We challenged employees to see the bigger picture of their daily actions aligned with the bank’s mission to empower financial independence for its customers.

Strategy sets the direction, but culture decides whether anyone bothers to follow it.

Mr. Strategy Tweet

Step 3: Build knowledge for clarity

Attitude shifts require a clear understanding of what’s expected. We develop targeted training programs to ensure employees and leaders know what living the culture looks like in practice.

For our client, this meant creating a “culture playbook.” The playbook detailed how each value translated into daily behaviors:

  1. Customer empathy means resolving client issues within 24 hours.
  2. Collaboration required cross-departmental meetings to streamline workflows.
  3. Accountability included a new feedback system where teams openly shared successes and challenges. We also introduced a performance scoreboard where winning habits were indicated.

This clarity turned abstract values into actionable standards.

Step 4: Train the skills to execute

Even with the right mindset and knowledge, execution requires skill. We tailored practical training programs to equip their teams with the tools they needed to deliver on the new culture.

For example, frontline employees received customer service training emphasizing empathy and active listening. Managers were trained on how to give constructive feedback and create environments of psychological safety where employees could take ownership without fear of punishment.

Over three months, we provided in-person and online training sessions, role-playing scenarios, and practical exercises, ensuring every employee had the skills to embody the desired culture.

The results

By implementing the VAKS Model, the financial institution saw tangible results within nine months:

  1. Employee engagement improved by 40%, with teams reporting higher trust and collaboration.
  2. Customer retention increased by 25% as employees delivered better, faster service.
  3. Operational efficiency enhanced cross-departmental workflows and reduced loan processing time by 30%.

The leadership team didn’t just talk about culture-they built, lived, and measured its impact.

Your call to action: Transform your culture with VAKS

Culture is the foundation of effective strategy execution. Without it, even the best plans fail. The VAKS Model ensures your values are actionable, your attitudes aligned, your knowledge clear, and your skills equipped for success.

At Summit Consulting, we don’t do vague initiatives or one-size-fits-all solutions. We partner with you to define, align, and implement a culture transformation tailored to your strategy and goals.

Are you ready to turn culture into your competitive advantage? Contact us today, and let’s get started.