#193: Strategic HR Evolution: Building Culture-Driven IT Organizations

#193: Strategic HR Evolution: Building Culture-Driven IT Organizations

Featuring:

Will Smith, Chief of Staff at City of Seattle IT

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Seattle IT revolutionized HR by embedding dedicated business partners within each department, transforming traditional personnel management into strategic partnerships that understand both technical operations and business goals

The critical intersection of organizational psychology and tech leadership, through Smith's doctoral research on how growth mindset principles drive successful cultural transformation in IT organizations

Seattle IT's innovative "from-to state" framework for cultural change, creating systematic pathways from fixed to growth mindset and empowering teams with clear decision-making abilities

The power of intentional culture-building in IT organizations, demonstrated through Seattle IT's focus on psychological safety and creating spaces where all perspectives are valued

How modern HR leadership drives organizational success by understanding both human capital and technical operations, illustrated through Seattle IT's transformation from a traditional personnel office to a strategic business partner

Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction and Welcome (01:00) Will Smith: From HR Expert to Chief of Staff at Seattle IT (03:00) Personal Background and Family Values (04:00) Educational Journey: Bridging IT, Law, and Organizational Psychology (07:00) Understanding the 'Why' in Organizations (09:00) Growth Mindset: Foundation for Organizational Change (11:00) Revolutionizing HR: The Business Partner Model (14:00) Creating Intentional Culture and Psychological Safety (17:00) Managing Conflict Through Relationship Building (19:00) Leading Change: Hybrid Work Transformation (21:00) Seattle IT Learning Conference: Culture in Action (23:00) Closing Thoughts and Show Information

Links Mentioned:

2024 Seattle Learning Conference Playlist

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Stanford University

🎥 Upcoming Live Podcast Tours

1. 2026 IGNITE Powered by Info-Tech LIVE - Austin, TX - Sept. 17th-18th

If you’re an IT leader in Austin, Houston, or nearby, Info-Tech’s got complimentary tickets with your name on them (just DM me I’ll be there). IGNITE is getting past the AI hype and into the real questions CIOs are wrestling with: how to get your people actually using AI, what the shift from “employee in the loop” to “employee on the loop” looks like, and how to budget when the costs keep moving up.

→ Ready to join the conversation in person? Email joe@techtables.com

3. 2026 TechTables Austin Live Podcast Tour - November 4th

We’re coming back to Texas for a live podcast stop in Austin, TX and we could not be more excited. TechTables heads to Austin to celebrate the leaders, the stories, and the work shaping the future of public sector!

→ Ready to join the conversation in person? Email joe@techtables.com

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter

Thanks for reading TechTables! Get early access to new episodes, insights, upcoming events, and more — straight to your inbox.

2. 🤝 You shouldn't make the hardest calls alone.

A peer advisory board of local government CIOs. Vendor-free, application only, twice a year in person — with 4x private forums in between.

See if you're a fit → https://techtables.com/communities-local-government

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.