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Schedule 2025

Session 503: Culture Shock: 3 Proven Strategies to Energize Your Contact Center from the Inside Out

Clarice T. Merriman, MBA  (Contact Center Director, Maricopa County Community Colleges District)

Date: Thursday, October 30

Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Pass Type: Core Pass, Premier Pass, Premium Learning Pass

Track: Boost Your Culture, Elevate Your Strategy and Leadership

Session Type: Session

Vault Recording: TBD

What if your contact center was a place employees ran toward—not away from?
In today's high-stress, high-stakes customer experience environment, culture is no longer a nice-to-have—it's a strategic imperative. Whether you're building a new team, looking to turn around a struggling operation, or seeking to breathe fresh energy into a legacy organization, this session delivers actionable culture management strategies that generate big returns in performance, morale, and retention.

The contact center industry is in the midst of an evolution—facing rising attrition, burnout, and shifting employee expectations. Organizations that ignore culture are losing their best talent to more purposeful, people-centered competitors. This session offers leaders the practical tools and mindset shift needed to stay ahead of the curve—and turn culture into a competitive advantage.

Led by a contact center veteran with 20 years of transforming teams and elevating operations, this interactive session will challenge leaders to go beyond the pizza parties and employee-of-the-month plaques. We'll explore what it truly means to invest in culture—from aligning expectations with your mission, to becoming an inclusive culture guardian, to prioritizing real recognition and well-being. This isn't just about making people happy. It's about building a culture that drives results.

Takeaway

The Culture Roadmap: Learn how to align team expectations with organizational mission and values from day one to foster accountability, clarity, and purpose.

Becoming a Culture Guardian: Discover how inclusive leadership and intentional modeling can protect and elevate your workplace culture—especially in times of change or challenge.

Rethinking Recognition: Explore modern approaches to recognition and employee well-being that go beyond paychecks and perks—and actually build engagement and retention.

Culture ROI: Understand how culture investment impacts operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and bottom-line results.

Action Blueprint: Walk away with a customizable culture strategy plan to immediately apply with your team over the next 30-60-90 days.