How Allan Gray Orbis improved engagement, increased staff recognition and work quality,
and reduced their staff turnover by half

Rebuilding culture from the inside out

When Dr Nontobeko Mabizela stepped into the CEO role at the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (AGOF), she inherited an organisation with a powerful mission — but one that was navigating significant internal strain.

After 17 years within the Foundation, she had experienced the organisation through both strong and difficult seasons. When she took over as CEO, she recognised that something deeper needed attention.

“The culture, the trust, everything was low.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

The challenge was not simply operational. It was relational, emotional, and cultural. The organisation needed more than another intervention or training initiative — it needed a meaningful reset in how people experienced themselves, one another, and engaged within the organisation itself. They needed something different
That search for ‘different’ led to Mygrow.

Initial scepticism — then an unexpected shift

Deon White, the IT executive shared his thoughts:

“I think my gut reaction was, oh, here’s another piece of software claims to do ‘ABC’. So I was very disinterested from that perspective. We deal with a lot of software, and it’s rare that software captures what the founder wanted it to do….The changes that my Mygrow brought were pervasive in my life.” – Deon White

“I remember thinking it was expensive and too good to be true.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

But shortly after they began on Mygrow, something unusual began happening across the organisation. The language of emotional intelligence started naturally entering day-to-day conversations, meetings, and relationships. Mygrow became part of the organisation’s shared vocabulary.

“When Mygrow first hit our corridors, it became what people were talking about every day.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

Rather than remaining isolated as a learning intervention, the EQ growth journey soon became integrated into the daily operational and relational fabric of the broader team.

For many employees — including the CEO herself — the experience became deeply personal.

“Personally, I start my day with Mygrow. It calms me, especially during tough times. It helps me reflect and assess why people are reacting in certain ways.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

“The changes that Mygrow brought were pervasive in my life….[on the impact of Mygrow on Deon’s productivity] “If I equated it to a number, I think by two thirds.” 

– Deon White

Creating a culture of reflection, feedback, and accountability

As the journey progressed, AGOF began seeing measurable shifts in how people engaged with one another.

“We’ve had one Exco member that left as a manager, went away for two years to somewhere else in the group and came back as an Exco member. And his words were, he’s come back to a different organization.” – Deon White

The organisation experienced increased openness, stronger feedback culture, healthier accountability, and greater psychological safety across teams.

“People reflect, they speak up.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

“It shifted from a transactional relationship to actually genuinely having contact with somebody.”

“She noted that employees — including junior staff members — increasingly felt comfortable raising concerns directly and honestly with leadership.” – Deon White

“I get emails from junior staff saying, ‘As a CEO, please look at this — it’s making us unhappy.’ That kind of transparency is new.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

One of the most significant cultural shifts was around feedback and shared ownership.

“It’s the power of feedback and accountability. Previously, people expected only managers to give feedback. Now it’s everyone’s responsibility.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

This shift was echoed by Ryan Rutgers, AGOF’s Human Resources Director, who observed substantial changes in team dynamics and emotional maturity.

Ryan also noted stronger collaboration and interpersonal connection across the organisation.

“People are connecting and collaborating more than ever.” – Ryan Rutgers

Measurable organisational impact

As the internal culture shifted, AGOF began seeing measurable movement across several key organisational indicators.

Overall engagement increased to historic highs

AGOF’s overall engagement index increased in one year from 77% → 81%
This is the highest engagement score reflected in the organisation’s multi-year engagement trend data.
Importantly, positive movement was recorded across every engagement category measured in the Q12 survey.
“Our Q12 scores — they’re the best we’ve ever seen.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

Commitment to quality work increased by 12%

In response to the Q12 statement: “My co-workers are committed to doing quality work” the score increased from: 71% → 83%, representing a substantial +12% improvement
This improvement strongly aligned with the organisation’s increased emphasis on feedback, accountability, and shared ownership.

Recognition, Values and ‘Employee Voice’

In the same annual Q12 report, AGOF also recorded significant improvements in:

• Recognition: 68% → 74%
• Value alignment: 71% → 77%
• Employee Voice: 69% → 75%

The data reflected what leadership was already sensing experientially:
employees were engaging more openly, honestly, and constructively with one another.

Wellbeing improved

At the same time, longitudinal wellbeing data demonstrated sustained upward movement in employee wellbeing across the organisation, over the preceding year. Rather than reflecting a short-term spike, the data suggested a more embedded and sustainable shift in how employees were experiencing the workplace, and themselves within it.

Attrition reduced dramatically

One of the most significant organisational outcomes during the Mygrow journey was AGOF’s reduction in staff attrition.
Staff turnover reduced from a year-on-year average of ~7% to 3.8% during the year that Mygrow was used across the whole team. For Dr Mabizela, this represented one of the clearest indicators that something meaningful had shifted internally.
“Our attrition rate is the lowest it’s ever been.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela
Importantly, when asked for clarity on whether she believed the difference in staff attrition was as a result of Mygrow, the CEO replied:
“One hundred percent because of Mygrow…it’s what was different with our formula … We’re attracting and keeping more talent than ever before.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela

Building readiness for growth

Another unexpected benefit emerged in the way Mygrow appeared to prepare employees for broader development initiatives across the organisation. Dr Mabizela described the journey as creating greater emotional readiness and receptivity for learning and leadership development.
“It sets the tone. So when we do training or leadership development, people are more receptive… It’s like working with a brain that’s warmed up and ready.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela
Rather than functioning as a standalone intervention, Mygrow became part of the Foundation’s broader leadership and culture ecosystem — strengthening the emotional and relational capacity that underpins sustainable growth and high performance.

More than engagement scores

For AGOF, the impact of the journey extended beyond metrics alone. What began as an attempt to rebuild trust and culture evolved into something deeper: a shift in how people related, communicated, reflected, and showed up within the organisation.
As Dr Mabizela reflected:
“It gave me space to be vulnerable, honest, and in control.” – Dr Nontobeko Mabizela
In many ways, that became the broader story of the organisation itself.

Beyond Allan Gray Orbis Foundation

As a result of the benefits that were experienced at Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, in 2025 Mygrow was rolled out across the other philanthropic organisations in the Allan Gray family.

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