Rebuilding Cultures of Care After Organizational Rupture
An organizational rupture can take many forms…mass layoffs, leadership scandals, mission drift, or public crises that shake the very foundation of trust.
In humanitarian work, where our mission is tied to care and dignity, these ruptures can feel deeply personal. The question is: How do we rebuild a culture of care when it has been broken?
The Nature of Rupture
A rupture isn’t just a bad quarter or a difficult project. It’s a break in the social and ethical fabric of an organization. It can lead to:
Loss of trust in leadership and decision-making.
Disconnection between teams and departments.
Cynicism about stated values.
Emotional withdrawal from the mission.
Ignoring these fractures only hardens them.
Care as a Cultural Foundation
A culture of care isn’t built from wellness perks or “fun” activities. It’s built from the everyday ways people treat each other and the systems that protect their well-being. After a rupture, rebuilding this foundation means going deeper than quick fixes.
Steps Toward Rebuilding
Acknowledge the rupture - openly, without defensiveness.
Hold space for processing - allowing staff to voice hurt, anger, and disappointment.
Make visible changes - not just promises, but concrete actions.
Embed care into systems - so it’s not dependent on individual goodwill alone.
Sustain the effort - rebuilding culture is a long-term commitment, not a project with an end date.
Why Timing Matters
If leaders rush past repair to “get back to business,” the unhealed wound becomes part of the organization’s DNA. But when they slow down to rebuild care first, every future initiative has a stronger chance to succeed.
The Payoff of Rebuilding
A repaired culture doesn’t just restore what was lost, it can emerge stronger. Trust becomes more intentional. Communication becomes more honest. And care becomes something lived daily, not just promised.
Holding space with care and solidarity — here’s to staying whole, together,
~ Kate
Thanks for reading The Olive Pages: Fieldnotes on care, clarity, and staying whole
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KRC provides coaching, psychosocial support, and organizational consulting to humanitarian professionals and mission-driven organizations worldwide. Based in lived experience and trauma-aware care, our work helps clients navigate burnout, moral injury, organizational change, and career transitions — while staying human in the process.