Center for Internal Change a Division of The TEAM Approach
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How Ryan Companies Built a Culture of Unstoppable Teamwork

Image shows a certificate indicating Ryan Companies won a Brandon Hall award. At the top left of the image is Ryan companies logo. In the center is a silver Brandon Hall Award for Excellence in Action in the category of Organizational Teamwork and Collaboration for 2025.

Ryan Companies US, Inc. has discovered that the secret to financial success isn’t just in the blueprints, it’s in the people. 

Founded in 1938, Ryan Companies has navigated rapid growth by doubling down on one critical business need: project team cohesion.

The Challenge of Growth

Rapid expansion and entry into unfamiliar geographies often bring “market tension”. 

For Ryan Companies, this meant a high volume of new employees and the potential for misunderstandings or conflict that could jeopardize project success. Recognizing this, the company launched the Team Excellence program—a transformative initiative designed to improve dynamics, relationships, and accountability through candid, tailored discussions.

A Powerhouse Framework for Collaboration

Working in partnership with the Center for Internal Change, Ryan Companies integrated three world-class frameworks to anchor this initiative:

Image shows the Everything DiSC Model map. The map has four distinct areas on a circle. The top left hand corner is green with an upper case 'D'. On the top right is a lowercase 'I' that is shaded red. Below it, on the bottom right hand side, is a blue area with an uppercase 'S'. To the bottom left is a yellow area with an uppercase 'C'

Everything DiSC®: A behavioral assessment tool that provides a shared language for understanding different work styles. With over 1,600 assessments completed and a 95% completion rate, DiSC is now woven into the entire employee lifecycle.

The Five Behaviors® Model: Based on Patrick Lencioni’s pyramid of Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results, this model guides teams through the stages of high performance.

Checkpoint Team Survey: A Ryan Companies custom-built, quarterly survey for our construction project team members to provide feedback on the team’s culture and dynamics, and raise any issues or concerns

Impact by the Numbers

When Ryan Companies equipped 33 distinct project teams with these tools, Ryan Companies saw tangible improvements in both culture and the bottom line:

  • Financial Protection: On major projects (>$60M) where teams utilized the program, profit erosion was held at 0%. This result far exceeded the strategic goal of staying below 5%.
  • Trust and Satisfaction: 93% of participants reported that the sessions helped them build trust with teammates, contributing to an average program rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
  • Stability: Participating teams experienced significantly lower turnover, typically keeping departures to 0-4 per team for the entire year.

Industry-Leading Engagement: When responding to the survey question, “The people I work with cooperate to get the job done,” Ryan outperformed the industry benchmark of 5.8, scoring 6.

Real-World Success: From Conflict to Early Delivery of Milestones

The true power of the Team Excellence program was seen in a 2024 multifamily project. 

Facing low scores in commitment and accountability, the team engaged in the program and took ownership of their growth by starting an internal “book club” to study team dysfunctions. By mid-2025, they were proactively identifying future risks and mitigating conflict. 

The result? 

Improved project speed and the early delivery of key milestones.

A Legacy of Excellence

Image shows a Silver Brandon Hall Award for 2025 in the category of Organizational Teamwork and Collaboration.

This isn’t the first time that Ryan Companies has been recognized for its investment in its people. 

In addition to internal success, they have been recognized as a 2024 Training Magazine Apex Awards winner and a perennial favorite on “Best Places to Work” lists in Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay.

Through the Team Excellence program and its partnership with the Center for Internal Change, Ryan Companies has proven that when teams trust each other and communicate effectively, they don’t just complete projects—they set new standards for the entire industry.