In an era of exponential change, leaders often search for the “perfect” leadership style, while groundbreaking research shows that it is not the style of leadership that determines success, but the work climate that leaders create.
Our solutions
Innovative grounded approach to employee engagement
Engagement has declined – and the decline is not limited to any one country or region. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report we are witnessing a global decline in productivity, fueled by workers who feel uninvolved, unsupported and unsure of their roles.
Employee engagement in Western Europe is low, even the lowest worldwide, according to recent Gallup research (mainly data from 2022), despite a high overall quality of life. Specifically for Western European countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, the 2022 figures are even lower than the European average, 11% and 12%, respectively. These figures also show a decline compared to previous years. A large proportion of non-engaged employees in Europe (86% overall) fall into the ‘not engaged’ category, meaning they are not necessarily dissatisfied but wait-and-see and relatively easy to motivate. However, a significant proportion are “actively disengaged,” which amounts to 17% in Belgium and 13% in the Netherlands. This group is frustrated and can have a negative, toxic impact on colleagues and the organization.
Effective employee engagement requires a multidimensional approach that is evidence-based and aligned with changing work dynamics. Our grounded methodology integrates three essential dimensions that together form a holistic framework for sustainable engagement.
Diagnostics
In today’s dynamic organizational landscape, traditional, static employee research has evolved into a sophisticated, continuous process. Modern engagement management requires tools that not only measure, but predict and facilitate. At the heart of our science-based approach is the Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ), a powerful diagnostic tool that provides deep insight into organizational climate – the direct precursor and catalyst of employee engagement.
Rooted in decades of research and refined through international application, the SOQ measures nine critical climate dimensions that unmistakably correlate with the level of engagement within an organization. These dimensions provide a detailed and nuanced picture:
- The Challenge/Engagement Dimension gauges the extent to which employees feel personally challenged and engaged in their work and organizational goals. A high score here is a direct indicator of an energetic and engaged team and facilitates early detection of potential engagement risks.
- The Trust/Openness Dimension is essential for fostering psychological safety – an environment where employees feel free to share ideas, give feedback and take risks. This not only promotes authentic communication, but also strengthens the validity and reliability of all engagement measurements.
- The Idea Support & Freedom Dimensions measure the extent to which new ideas are encouraged, supported and employees experience the autonomy to take initiative. A climate that scores high on these encourages proactive participation, increases intrinsic motivation and is an incubator for innovative work behavior.
These deep insights form the basis of our modern measurement tools, which combine the scientific robustness of the SOQ with the speed and flexibility of contemporary technology.
Extensive research and our practical experience confirm the strong, positive correlation between a favorable innovation climate (as measured by the SOQ) and high levels of employee engagement. This relationship manifests itself at multiple levels:
- Direct impact: Higher scores on SOQ dimensions such as Trust/Openness translate directly into increased engagement. A climate of Trust/Openness enhances psychological safety, which is a prerequisite for authentic engagement. And when Idea-Support and Freedom are prominent, proactive participation flourishes, a core element of engaged behavior.
Systemic impacts: Impact is more than the sum of its parts. A positive organizational climate strengthens collective innovativeness and problem-solving ability. At the same time, increased engagement leads to further improvement in climate scores. This creates a self-reinforcing positive spiral, where climate and commitment continuously feed and reinforce each other, resulting in a resilient and future-proof organization.
Continuous improvement
Continuous improvement & sustainable impact
This integrated system is designed to facilitate and perpetuate a culture of continuous improvement:
Through the scientific depth of the SOQ, we enable organizations to systematically monitor and optimize organizational climate and employee engagement. This approach makes it possible to proactively identify risks, implement evidence-based interventions and achieve a sustainable culture of high engagement and continuous improvement. This maximizes the positive correlation between a stimulating climate and engaged employees for measurable and lasting success.
In-depth climate diagnosis
SOQ: In-depth climate diagnosis as a basis for sustainable engagement
While many coaches focus directly on engagement symptoms, we start with the Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ). This is not a standard engagement survey, but a scientifically validated instrument rooted in decades of research and international application. It provides deep insight into organizational climate – the direct precursor and catalyst of employee engagement. We measure nine critical climate dimensions (such as Challenge/Engagement, Trust/Openness, Idea-Support & Freedom) that reveal the true breeding ground for engagement. This aligns with our value “Solid”: our tools are anchored in science. Our in-depth diagnosis identifies the specific barriers and opportunities within the climate that are driving current low engagement.
Focus on the Synergy between Innovation Climate and Engagement for Sustainable Impact.
We establish an explicit and proven link between a favorable innovation climate (as measured by the SOQ) and high employee engagement. Our approach shows how dimensions such as Idea-Support, Freedom and Challenge not only stimulate innovation, but also directly contribute to higher intrinsic motivation and proactive participation – core elements of engagement. This creates a self-reinforcing positive spiral. This aligns with our focus on “creativity and innovation” and our intellectual pedigree dating back to Alex Osborn.
We offer a methodology that views engagement not as an isolated HR goal, but as an integral part of a thriving, innovative ecosystem. So it’s about looking beyond just “fixing” low engagement rates.
A continuous, data-driven and adaptive improvement system for measurable and lasting results.
We don’t offer a one-time “quick fix.” Our methodology includes systematic monitoring (regular measurements of climate and engagement), leads to targeted, evidence-based interventions (data-driven action plans, customized), and facilitates adaptive optimization. This means that through advancing insight, the organization and its leaders are increasingly able to model the impact of interventions and learn continuously. It is a dynamic system that strives to create a sustainable culture of high engagement.
Gallup data shows a decline in engagement, indicating the ineffectiveness of short-term solutions. Our system addresses this by providing a sustainable framework that not only addresses the “actively disengaged” (13-17%), but more importantly activates and retains the large group of “not engaged” (who are wait-and-see but motivatable) for the long term.
In short, rather than just addressing the symptoms of low engagement, our science-based, systemic approach addresses the underlying climate factors, helping you build a sustainable foundation for an organization where engagement and innovation go hand in hand.
Are you ready to break the downward spiral of low engagement exposed by Gallup and build a truly engaged, innovative organizational culture?
The process guidance revolution: from brainstorming frustration to innovation success
Creative process
The article highlights how professional process coaching makes the difference between chaotic, ineffective brainstorming sessions and successful innovation processes. It highlights that certified CPS process facilitators help teams generate up to 600% more ideas by mastering the art of separating process from content. The article explains why many organizations have bad experiences with brainstorming sessions (lack of structure, preparation and psychological safety) and how a well-trained facilitator avoids these pitfalls.
40% more sales growth: the scientifically proven ROI of climate investment
Organizational climate
Organizations who strategically invest in their innovation climate experience transformative results that many times exceed the initial investment. This return on investment manifests itself in increased employee engagement, accelerated innovation cycles and increased organizational resilience.
Organizational climate as an engine for innovation and change
Organizational climate
In a world where innovation makes the difference between being ahead and being left behind, organizations are searching for the secret formula for sustainable innovation. The answer lies not in complex strategies or expensive technologies, but in something much more fundamental: the daily organizational climate that employees experience. Scientific research shows that organizations with a consciously developed innovation climate achieve up to 40% more sales growth and perform 3.5 times better in their markets.
The power of cognitive diversity: smart teams, stronger organizations
Problem-solving styles
When team members face the same problem but choose completely different solution directions, it looks like chaos – but it is actually one of the most powerful competitive advantages a team can possess. This cognitive diversity in problem-solving styles, scientifically measurable through the VIEW assessment, is key to resilient teams that excel in complex, changing environments. Organizations who consciously value and strategically leverage these differences transform potential frustration into measurable innovativeness and sustained team performance.
From intuition to systematic innovation
Facilitation
Innovation was long considered a mysterious process – a flash of genius for a few. This romantic notion has given way to a more pragmatic approach. Today, we know that successful innovations come from systematic processes that structure creativity. This transformation from intuitive to methodical innovation determines which companies thrive in a world of constant change.
