In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, observed each year from September 15 through October 15, we're highlighting the vital contributions and voices of the Hispanic and Latino communities within associations and beyond.

Building a positive organizational culture takes time and thoughtful dedication. Similar to putting a puzzle together, every piece contributes to a larger picture—an environment where employees feel valued and engaged.

We open a puzzle box with the trust that all the pieces are included, each piece will fit together, and all the pieces result in a clear outcome we envisioned. In associations, we similarly begin the process of improving organizational culture through an evaluation of the pieces that comprise it. We identify our mission and values; conduct an environmental scan; complete a strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis; synthesize data; and set shared goals. When we put it all together, we create a road map to take our organizational culture to a more inclusive, innovation-driven place.

Whether you lead a small, medium, or large association, the goal is the same—create a culture where every “piece” has a purpose and members and stakeholders understand how they fit together. In a positive organizational culture, everyone is included along the way and feels connected to the bigger picture.

From the outside in, the board leadership helps to establish the framework through shared purpose, governance, and the strategic plan. Our association members bring the mission and vision to life, serving as the ambassadors to carry those goals forward. At the center of the puzzle are staff—the glue of the association, holding the pieces together.

Staff often see the opportunities, challenges, threats, and subtle shifts before anyone else does. In working directly with members and committees, and alongside leadership, staff experience the association from multiple perspectives as they handle the day-to-day operations.

When there is a missing piece, it is an opportunity to ask questions and listen. After listening, we can better understand the gaps and identify resources to help fill these gaps, so we can move the association forward. Addressing the missing pieces build trust with our members and partners, so we can achieve greatness together.

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re reminded to consider if there are missing voices on our own teams that need additional support to grow and strengthen the organizational culture. Are there professional development opportunities and strategies available? In a changing environment, are advocacy efforts in place to advance DEIA?

There are ways to include and advance Latinos, while also ensuring your organization is more successful, diverse, equitable, and inclusive. As we celebrate this month, we are reminded that diversity of thought and voices help us to enrich the organizational culture and embrace all, so we can ultimately achieve our mission together.

Appreciation for community also plays a role in how we approach leadership and organizational culture. Much like we rely on our families during challenging times, it is important to build a safe space for our staff teams, so we can navigate opportunities and changing environments. Building trust with teams helps ensure we are creating a safe space to share ideas and conduct healthy discussions. From these safe spaces, we are able to brainstorm and build a culture of innovation. The ability to blend ideas and include diverse voices will further develop rich perspectives and meaningful innovation.

Organizational culture is built through trust and relationships, and every piece matters. If we find ourselves with missing pieces, we can reach out for a diversity of thought and voices from our staff, leadership, and members. These voices do more than fill missing spaces, they develop a complete picture of our community.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to create inclusive spaces so we can build stronger teams and ultimately make an impact not only for our organization’s culture, but also for the communities we serve.