Andrea Opfar

Can one person change the culture of an organization? Yes. We all know that can definitely happen in a negative way. One person can shift the energy of a room, school, or an organization, to make it worse than what it was before. The opposite can be true as well. I saw individuals shift the culture of entire rooms in moments by bringing their energy and people fed off their enthusiasm, and the dynamic of the culture changed in moments. We often discuss culture like it’s someone else’s responsibility but culture is made up of people. And eventually that one person who can bring a positive light to an organization can diminish their own. No matter how optimistic, joyful and passionate a person can be, never assume they are “good.” Check in on people even when they seem like they don’t need it, because often they do. One person can move the culture ahead in a positive direction, but that individual might also need your energy to keep them going. Education is about elevation and whether you are positive or negative, it is contagious? Which one will you be?