Upcoming MSCS Webinar: How Communication Shapes Mainframe Culture
Leadership and performance psychologist Dr. Gloria A. Chance previews an upcoming webinar from Making Our Strong Community Stronger, which will explore the profound impacts of culture in the mainframe community
The Making Our Strong Community Stronger (MSCS) initiative —launched in 2020 and sponsored by BMC, Broadcom Software, IBM, the Open Mainframe Project, Tech Channel, Rocket Software and The Mousai Group—was created to make the mainframe community more welcoming to new generations and those historically left out. Over the years, it has tackled big questions around inclusion, trust and collaboration, drawing strong participation across the industry.
This year’s focus is on communication: how trust shapes the way we connect, and why in today’s environment building trust has become both more difficult and more essential. We will explore these themes in the Oct. 22 webinar, “Culture Speaks: How Internal Communication Shapes What We Believe and How We Behave.”
During our previous panel discussion in May, we explored how effective communication lays the foundation for collaboration and innovation. Leaders across generations shared candid perspectives: Andy Wig, TechChannel, emphasized that “authenticity fosters trust, and staying true to oneself strengthens credibility,” while Brennen Glover, Rocket Software, noted that “shared goals build openness—when teams align around a common purpose, trust and honest communication naturally deepen.” The conversation also revealed how different generations bring unique communication preferences, whether texting, calling, emailing or face-to-face, but all agreed that in-person connection remains critical for building trust and picking up on subtle cues.
Building on those insights, our upcoming October session will turn the spotlight toward culture: how it is composed, how it resonates across organizations and why it may be the most critical differentiator for the mainframe community’s future.
Culture as Human Infrastructure
Just as the mainframe provides the backbone of critical industries, culture provides the invisible backbone of organizational performance. It shapes how individuals work together as teams with trust and confidence, how leaders make decisions under pressure and how organizations adapt in times of uncertainty. A good culture is not defined by compliance checklists but by the lived experience of belonging, inclusion and shared purpose.
Work across industries shows that culture improves rapidly when leaders and their teams gain the benefits of embracing practices grounded in neuroscience, creativity and psychology to unlock peak performance. This is especially important in domains like mainframe computing, where the work is deeply technical but the outcomes profoundly human. Like a symphony, culture is strongest when diverse sections—teams, generations and perspectives—play together in balance and harmony.
Culture as a ‘Tech Stack‘
Think of culture as its own kind of “tech stack of imagination.” Just as systems have layers of processing, good cultures build on layers of human cognition and connection:
- Emotion and motivation: The melody line of culture. People thrive in cultures where anticipation of joy, success and recognition motivates them to go further.
- Associative thinking: The improvisation. Innovation sparks when people can connect disparate ideas, like mainframe reliability with cloud agility.
- Scenario simulation: The rehearsal. Healthy cultures encourage teams to run “what if” experiments, exploring futures without fear of failure.
- Executive function: The conductor. Leaders coordinate priorities and create psychological safety so teams can take smart risks.
- Memory and storytelling: The recurring themes. Shared experiences and stories reinforce identity and continuity across generations.
Culture, like music, must be practiced, adapted and carried forward through time. Without active care, it becomes rigid, outdated or dissonant.
Inclusion as the Core Rhythm
In today’s climate, inclusion is not an optional practice, it’s the rhythm section of culture—the steady pulse that ensures everyone has a role. Teams that feel seen, heard and valued are more creative, more productive and more loyal. Inclusion transforms culture from a static set of rules into a dynamic ecosystem of belonging.
In the mainframe community, where legacy expertise meets emerging talent, inclusion ensures knowledge transfer, cross-generational collaboration and innovation across diverse perspectives. Without it, the ensemble falters. With it, the performance soars.
The Future of Culture for Mainframers
As AI accelerates the pace of change, the human advantage will increasingly define organizational resilience. Effective culture will be measured not only by engagement scores but also by how well companies leverage imagination, foster inclusion and build trust with individuals.
For the mainframe ecosystem, this means embracing culture as both a competitive advantage and a human responsibility. Leaders who design cultures of courage, creativity and connection will not only sustain their organizations, they will also strengthen the entire community.
Join the Webinar Conversation
These themes will be explored during our upcoming October webinar:
Culture Speaks: How Internal Communication Shapes What We Believe and How We Behave
Date: Oct. 22, 2025
Time: Noon EDT
Virtual Event – Register Here
What makes this session unique is the way it integrates music and expressive arts as tools to illuminate hidden dimensions of culture. Just as rhythm, tone and resonance shape how music feels, they also shape how culture is experienced. Participants will discover how communication is not only structured but also heard, and how inclusive cultures create harmony that sustains innovation.
As research from the American Psychological Association and expressive arts therapies shows, music does more than entertain. It lowers stress, strengthens memory and builds social connection. Group music-making increases empathy and trust, while expressive arts give people safe, creative ways to share ideas and emotions. In the same way, cultures that value rhythm, harmony and improvisation create workplaces where people feel safe, motivated and inspired to contribute. Like a symphony, great cultures are not just heard—they are felt.
Join the Conversation!