System-Level Human Culture: How to Build Emotionally Intelligent Service from the Inside Out

In service organizations, we often focus on coaching individuals to be more empathetic—while ignoring the systems that make empathy difficult to sustain. This session challenges that approach. Drawing from experience management, emotional intelligence, and continuous improvement, Michael Mattson explores how anyone, from frontline agents to senior-level leaders, can influence a more emotionally intelligent service culture. Through simple, tactical shifts in thinking, action, and language, attendees will learn how to move from friction to flow, from burnout to trust, and from transactions to human-centered service, even without changing the org chart. Three Takeaways - You don’t need to “own the system” to influence it. Human-centred change starts with how we listen, reflect, and act—even inside roles with limited authority. - Policies, processes, and metrics shape behaviour. Emotional intelligence must be embedded not just in people—but in the way work is designed and measured. - Start with small, tactical moves. Use language, reflection, rituals, and conversations to shift culture from the inside out - one interaction at a time.