Turning Values into Workflows: How a GC Firm Operationalized Culture

By

Katie Boyer

and Taylor Riso

Last Updated Feb 6, 2026

By

Katie Boyer

and Taylor Riso

Culture isn’t just about what companies believ — it’s about how those beliefs show up in day-to-day work. When culture is embedded into operations, it becomes something teams can rely on, not just reference.

In the first article of this series, we examined how Ryan Gootee General Contractors (RGGC), a successful construction firm based in New Orleans, recognized a key risk: an informal company culture driven primarily by individual leaders, despite its existing strength. That realization marked a turning point in how the company approached growth.

In this article, we’ll explore how RGGC began operationalizing culture through intentional training, leadership development, and everyday practices that strengthened alignment across teams and projects.

Reinforcing Values Through Story

To make culture teachable, RGGC started with the values already in place. RGGC worked on further defining their values through facilitated sessions with Procore's Industry Culture team.

They didn’t rely on definitions alone. They shared stories. Each value came with an origin story, sometimes hilarious, sometimes hard-earned. That storytelling helped ground the language in lived experience, making the values easier to remember and harder to misinterpret.

For many employees, this was the first time the culture had been fully articulated. Not just as words on a wall, but as shared expectations.

Creating Shared Habits and Language

Once RGGC defined what their values meant, the next step was to show what those values looked like in practice. The team began aligning how work got done across projects, bringing consistency to the everyday tasks that often shape how teams feel about their work.

The goal wasn’t control; It was clarity. Everyone needed to follow the same playbook so they could focus on building, not deciphering.

One of the first shifts was standardizing language. What some project teams called “COPs” (change order proposals), others labeled “PCCOs.” Clients used a third version. It was a small difference that caused big confusion, particularly for newer employees and owners reviewing documents. Aligning the terminology created immediate efficiency, inside the office and out.

The team also reworked document formats, submittal stamping and daily log routines to create consistency from project to project. By taking the time to slow down and create shared habits, RGGC built more than standardized processes, they built trust. Everyone understood what “good” looked like, and that clarity made the work feel fair, efficient and connected.

Learning and Leading Together

As RGGC aligned its systems and terminology, the company also reimagined how people learned. Instead of sending step-by-step instructions or expecting new habits to spread through email, the team brought everyone together, literally.

They gathered in conference rooms with laptops open, walking through live workflows side by side. Teams built pay applications, stamped submittals, and completed daily logs in real time, learning the process as a group. The sessions created space for questions and reinforced a sense of shared accountability. Everyone learned together, no matter their role or experience level.

We stopped sending instructions by email and started learning together. That’s when it clicked.

Katie Boyer

Director of Operational Excellence

RGGC

That same collaborative mindset shaped how RGGC onboarded new leaders. Bringing experienced professionals into an established culture can be challenging, but the company met it with transparency and humility.

New hires, no matter how senior, are expected to learn RGGC’s systems from the ground up.

This “check your ego at the door” philosophy assures that leaders understand the processes they oversee and build respect across teams. By modeling humility and curiosity, RGGC turns leadership into a daily practice of learning.

As part of that approach, servant leadership became the foundation of every onboarding experience. Even seasoned professionals couldn’t lead effectively without first learning the company’s agreed-upon systems.

That clarity turned onboarding into an opportunity for alignment, not just orientation.

Through collaborative training and humble leadership, RGGC made learning a cornerstone of its culture, one that strengthens trust, consistency and connection across every project.

Feedback, Appreciation, and Measurable Change

As RGGC strengthened its systems and training, the company also looked for ways to build consistency in how people communicated. Feedback, both positive and constructive, became part of that effort. RGGC partnered with Procore's Industry Culture team on leadership development which in part, focused on strengthening feedback skills

In construction, where deadlines are tight and conversations can be direct, feedback isn’t always easy to give or receive. RGGC began encouraging teams to speak up more often, not just when something went wrong but when someone did something well. By normalizing recognition, leaders created a culture where appreciation and accountability carried equal weight. 

What’s worse than tough feedback is not knowing where you stand.

Michael DeGruy

President

RGGC

This renewed focus on communication began to reshape how people interacted day to day. Conversations became more open, meetings felt more productive, and teams developed a stronger sense of trust.

The company also saw small but meaningful changes in project consistency, daily logs submitted on time, cleaner data in reports, and a noticeable lift in overall engagement.

Teams began to recognize how tone, empathy, and encouragement shape performance as much as process does. That awareness strengthened communication between office and field, turning care and accountability into shared drivers of productivity.

Culture as a Repeatable System

At RGGC, culture no longer lives in a handbook or a few key personalities, it lives in daily routines. From shared terminology to hands-on workshops and open feedback, the company turned its values into consistent habits that guide every project. Culture became something measurable, teachable and sustainable.

With culture now part of everyday work, RGGC continues to refine those habits, building a foundation that can grow with the company and carry its values forward for years to come.

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Written by

Katie Boyer

Director of Operational Excellence | RGGC

Katie Boyer is the Director of Operational Excellence with a distinguished background in project management and a proven track record of delivering successful construction projects. In her current role, Katie drives organizational performance by coaching team members to reach their highest potential, implementing best practices, and ensuring the company’s core values are embodied in every aspect of operations. Her comprehensive approach to excellence bridges internal processes and external deliverables, creating a culture of continuous improvement that translates directly to superior client outcomes and sustainable growth. Katie’s unique blend of technical expertise and leadership skills enables her to transform operational challenges into opportunities for innovation and team development. A New Orleans native and LSU graduate, Katie carries her love of learning into everything she does. Outside the office, she embraces new challenges through new recipes and various DIY project. If she hit the lottery, you’d find Katie on the ski slopes every day listening to good music and chasing fresh powder with her husband.

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Taylor Riso

Contributing Writer

93 articles

Taylor Riso is a marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience in the construction industry. Skilled in content development and marketing strategies, she leverages her diverse experience to help professionals in the built environment. She currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

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