Wurzak Hotel Group

Dr. Kelly Makino, vice president of people and culture at the Wurzak Hotel Group, is an expert in organizational development. With a background in social work, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. Dr. Makino is passionate about creating effective onboarding experiences, addressing communication gaps, and enhancing training processes. Her commitment to inclusive leadership and learning culture shines through her work. She also actively discusses conflict resolution, introvert inclusion, and women’s empowerment.

In an exclusive interview with Manage HR, Dr. Kelly Makino shares valuable insights on the importance of adaptability and continuous improvement in HR and organizational development.

As the Vice President of People and Culture at Recycle Group, describe a typical day.

Every day brings unique challenges and opportunities. My mornings are dedicated to connecting with our teams across various locations. I dive into the intricacies of employment law and policy application to support our HR personnel in implementing recognition programs and ensuring training compliance.

Strategic planning occupies my afternoons, where I collaborate with finance, operations, and sales leaders to encourage effective cross-departmental communication and teamwork. This is also when I focus on breaking down silos within the organization.

As the day winds down, I shift to a creative mindset, planning for the upcoming days and quarters. It’s essential to regularly review our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and progress towards our strategic goals, ensuring we’re not just caught up in the daily grind but are also achieving our long-term objectives.

How do you balance addressing immediate tasks and strategizing for long-term goals, while also managing emergencies in a 24/7 operation like Recycle Group?

I allocate the beginning of the week for forward-looking activities, such as assessing our KPIs and strategic plan alignment. As the week progresses, I address more immediate compliance-related tasks and urgent matters, ensuring we stay on track with our goals.

Being the ‘on-call’ HR, I’m always prepared for any critical situations that may arise outside regular hours. It’s crucial to address emergencies promptly, but I also consciously structure my week to maintain productivity and safeguard my creative energy. Avoiding burnout is vital—not just for my well-being but for nurturing a positive organizational culture.

Can you discuss the emerging trends in organizational culture development and how companies adapt to changing societal norms?

The landscape of organizational culture is evolving rapidly, influenced by shifting societal norms. Fields like medicine, education, and even mechanical industries have long understood the value of problem-solving through diverse perspectives. Today, the corporate world is embracing this wisdom, recognizing that a variety of thoughts and creativity at the helm leads to superior outcomes.

“Cultural initiatives are not a one-time effort but a continuous process that thrives on consistent nurturing, much like watering flowers to ensure their growth and vitality.”

One of the most significant shifts we’re witnessing is the heightened emphasis on empathy within leadership. The workforce scarcity during the pandemic left us no choice but to cultivate empathy as a critical business skill. This evolution is evident in our approach to benefits design, flexible scheduling, communication styles, and performance management.

The hotel industry faces unique challenges regarding remote work. Our frontline staff must be physically present, which means corporate employees must also refrain from remote work in the spirit of equity. However, I’ve had the opportunity to promote a remote work culture in previous roles, utilizing digital tools to bridge the gap. For instance, initiating team meetings with GIFs, dance parties, or messaging polls can significantly enhance remote engagement.

Embracing  digital transformation also means being open to creative conflict and dissent—comfortable with discomfort. This mindset shift is crucial for building a resilient and strong organizational culture, something we might not have appreciated two decades ago.

According to you, what are some anticipated advancements or transformations in organizational culture development?

Looking ahead, I anticipate a more scientific approach to organizational culture, where business leaders recognize the need for social psychology and anthropology expertise to guide human interactions within groups. The trend I am eager to see is the integration of these social sciences into business practices, leveraging data to inform decisions and strategies.

I hope for a future where performance reviews are intricately tied to an organization’s mission, vision, and values—where we define desired behaviors and align daily tasks with these core principles. This alignment can significantly impact performance and resonate with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, from necessities to a sense of belonging.

Moreover, I expect to see a rise in employer branding, where companies loudly and proudly communicate their culture, attracting candidates who share their values. This   will  likely lead to more empathetic benefits design, catering to a diverse workforce spanning multiple generations.

In essence, the future of organizational culture lies in data-driven strategies, expert insights, and a deep understanding of human needs and behaviors. These are crucial for nurturing a dynamic and inclusive workplace.

Could you share any recent initiatives at your organization that have impacted HR or organizational development?

One of our recent endeavours was implementing a micro-learning program. Recognizing that frontline managers are pivotal to organizational culture, we focus on short, practical learning sessions tied to the eight brand pillars, which serve as our core values.

Each week, teams would dedicate a few minutes during their morning huddle to discussing a specific pillar and how it would influence their actions throughout the week. For example, ‘Making the Ordinary Extraordinary’ might be a topic on which we would share stories and commitments, fostering a common language and reinforcing our values in daily interactions.

This approach has helped shape our culture and equipped managers with teaching skills, creating a ripple effect across the organization. The initiative lasted two months and showed significant positive shifts—timely report submissions increased, and turnover rates decreased, indicating an improvement in organizational culture.

However, we are aware that cultural initiatives have a lifespan. It’s not a one-time effort but a continuous process that requires regular nurturing—like watering flowers—to sustain and grow.

In the field of HR and organizational development, what essential advice would you give to newcomers eager to build their network and career and to seasoned professionals looking for innovative solutions?

For upcoming professionals in the field, the importance of networking cannot be overstated. Engaging with your local HR community can be incredibly beneficial for your career. HR professionals are inherently people-oriented and eager to assist and connect. If you’re passionate about organizational development and human resources, don’t hesitate to contact local groups. Even if membership dues are beyond your reach, express your interest. More often than not, you will find opportunities to participate in events and expand your network. The HR community is close-knit and welcoming, often characterized by a great sense of humour.

For those who are maybe a little further along in their careers, innovation doesn’t always require reinventing the wheel. Many solutions we seek in our field may already exist elsewhere. Look beyond the confines of HR to other industries and disciplines. There, you might discover approaches and solutions that can be adapted to our context. It’s about stepping outside our comfort zones to find inspiration in unexpected places. This perspective, famously encapsulated by David Kelley of IDEO, encourages us to broaden our horizons and apply cross-disciplinary thinking to our challenges.