| ITEM #: 1. DATE: 06/08/2026 AI #:3354 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2026 – 2028 STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE - CULTURE JOURNEY |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Lyman Locket, Human Resources Director; Vicki Lackey, Deputy Human Resources Director; Emily Hannani, Organizational Development Manager |
SUMMARY
Council will receive an update on the city of Goodyear’s ongoing Culture Journey, including key initiatives supporting employee engagement, development, organizational excellence, and service delivery. The presentation will outline progress related to employee growth and development, GEO onboarding enhancements, the Goodyear Grows Mentorship Program, and Gallup initiatives, including highlights from the 2026 Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey. The update reflects the City’s continued commitment under the FY26 - 28 Strategic Plan to “continue to innovate and build upon existing successes” by intentionally strengthening organizational culture, employee engagement, and the impact on service delivery to our citizens.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
Council to receive an update on the city's Culture Journey and provide direction to staff. No action will be taken. (Lyman Locket, Human Resources Director; Vicki Lackey, Deputy Human Resources Director; Emily Hannani, Organizational Development Manager)
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact on this item.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
In 2019, the city launched the Intentional Design of Goodyear’s Culture initiative centered on the city’s core values and a long-term commitment to building a high-performing, engaged organization. Since that time, the city has continued evolving its culture strategy through multiple phases focused on employee development, employee engagement, wellbeing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
In 2023, the city transitioned from a traditional employee satisfaction survey to the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey to better measure the conditions that drive organizational performance and employee engagement. This year marks the city’s fourth administration of the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey (Attachment A), providing the ability to measure engagement trends over time and evaluate the effectiveness of organizational strategies, investments, and action plans associated with the city’s ongoing Culture Journey. The Gallup Q12 survey is a globally recognized engagement tool consisting of 12 research-based questions that measure workplace conditions necessary for employee success, including clarity of expectations, recognition, growth opportunities, communication, accountability, and connection to organizational purpose. Gallup’s research demonstrates that engaged employees are more productive, innovative, collaborative, and committed to delivering high-quality service. In the public sector, this directly impacts the resident experience through improved responsiveness, stronger customer service, greater operational consistency, and more effective service delivery. Employees who understand expectations, feel connected to the organization, and are equipped to do their best work are better positioned to serve the community efficiently and with a high level of professionalism. The survey also provides benchmarking against national organizations and government agencies, allowing the city to evaluate progress over time and identify opportunities for continued improvement as a part of its commitment to becoming an innovative and high-performing organization.
Since the Culture Journey was incorporated into the City’s Strategic Plan as an ongoing action item, staff has provided annual updates to Council regarding progress, engagement trends, and organizational culture initiatives designed to strengthen employee experience, organizational performance, and service delivery to the community.
In 2023, the city transitioned from a traditional employee satisfaction survey to the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey to better measure the conditions that drive organizational performance and employee engagement. This year marks the city’s fourth administration of the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey (Attachment A), providing the ability to measure engagement trends over time and evaluate the effectiveness of organizational strategies, investments, and action plans associated with the city’s ongoing Culture Journey. The Gallup Q12 survey is a globally recognized engagement tool consisting of 12 research-based questions that measure workplace conditions necessary for employee success, including clarity of expectations, recognition, growth opportunities, communication, accountability, and connection to organizational purpose. Gallup’s research demonstrates that engaged employees are more productive, innovative, collaborative, and committed to delivering high-quality service. In the public sector, this directly impacts the resident experience through improved responsiveness, stronger customer service, greater operational consistency, and more effective service delivery. Employees who understand expectations, feel connected to the organization, and are equipped to do their best work are better positioned to serve the community efficiently and with a high level of professionalism. The survey also provides benchmarking against national organizations and government agencies, allowing the city to evaluate progress over time and identify opportunities for continued improvement as a part of its commitment to becoming an innovative and high-performing organization.
Since the Culture Journey was incorporated into the City’s Strategic Plan as an ongoing action item, staff has provided annual updates to Council regarding progress, engagement trends, and organizational culture initiatives designed to strengthen employee experience, organizational performance, and service delivery to the community.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The 2026 Q12 survey results continue to demonstrate positive progress in employee engagement and organizational performance. In addition to presenting survey results, staff will provide updates on several key initiatives supporting the city’s culture strategy and employee engagement efforts. Collectively, these efforts are designed to strengthen organizational effectiveness, leadership capacity, employee development, retention, operational excellence, and service delivery to the Goodyear community. These initiatives also support the City’s Strategic Plan priority of maintaining an innovative and high-performing organization prepared to effectively serve a growing community.