At the end of the year, I hosted an introductory program for the Human Resources Bio Alliance, featuring two HR experts from Volunteers of America: Jane Cohen and Michael Beylo. They walked us through their experience implementing the Best Places to Work survey and their insights were too good not to share. You can find information about the survey here.

A few highlights:

• Senior leadership must champion the effort to change culture.

• There will always be teams that need extra support.

• If you ask for feedback, you must take visible action.

• When recognition is earned, celebrate it loudly: banners, signs in elevators, internal accolades, all of it.

But the idea that stuck with me most was something Jane said: “Focus on the movable middle.”

Every organization has three groups:

• The consistently happy

• The constant dark clouds

• And the movable middle: the employees who see the challenges but are open, hopeful, and willing to move if they see real progress

Your “happy and content” employees don’t need a cultural overhaul to stay engaged. Your “dark clouds” may be important, but pouring excessive effort into converting them is often draining and ineffective.

The real opportunity is the movable middle. These are the people who care, who want things to be better, and who respond to transparency, consistency, and genuine improvement. When they move, the whole organization moves with them.

Whether you run a Best Places to Work survey or not, the question is worth asking: Who is your movable middle, and what would it take to help them thrive?