The Challenge
Kraft Heinz had been through change before. It just hadn’t stuck. Across the organization, people had grown jaded, treating the “latest new” operating model as one more initiative to wait out. Most knew the old way wasn’t working, but belief in the next way was low. The result: bureaucracy at the top and skepticism throughout the organization.
The Courage
knowledge
Leadership interviews surfaced the same pattern we see wherever fear takes hold: people could describe exactly what wasn’t working, but few wanted to be the one to say it out loud. Naming those fears directly: risk aversion, jadedness, and an unspoken attachment to “the old way” gave the organization language for what had been holding it back. More than anything, the company needed to restore faith in its future direction.
faith
Out of that work came a strategy to bust bureaucracy and rebuild belief by showcasing a future that could keep Kraft Heinz relevant at the center of American pantries and refrigerators. Kraft Heinz flew in its top 200 global leaders to review the 10-year plan. But rather than sit through a monotonous two-hour PowerPoint, Courageous worked with Kraft Heinz leadership to build an immersive art gallery leaders could walk through and experience bringing the future of Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Primal Kitchen, NotCo, and many others to life.
Action
Leaders left the event surprised, inspired, and more willing to recommit to doing things differently with their teams. By showing the plan rather than simply telling it, Kraft Heinz signaled that it was serious about showing up differently. The company backed that up with a new standard: teams were given permission and protection to experiment, rewarded for failing fast and pivoting, and encouraged to choose progress over playing it safe.
