Breaking Down Silos: How Happy Drives Collaboration at Opus IVS

Amanda Kotsilidis, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Opus IVS, faced a daunting challenge unique to her organization: how do you bring together five distinct company cultures into a single, unified team without losing the strengths each one offers? While many organizations wrestle with change management and cultural alignment, Opus IVS's situation was particularly complex.

On the "How I Use Happy" podcast hosted by Christine Passo, Amanda shared how Opus IVS turned to Happy's tools to tackle this challenge head-on. What they found was not only a path to better collaboration but also to a stronger, more adaptable culture—all built on understanding people.

Breaking Down Silos

For many organizations, especially those with diverse, cross-functional teams, one of the biggest challenges is getting everyone aligned under a shared vision. Teams may have different priorities, processes, and goals, making working together difficult. Over time, silos can form—isolated departments or teams that operate independently, often leading to stalled communication, weakened collaboration, and missed opportunities for innovation. These silos aren't always intentional, but they can hinder progress and productivity in significant ways.

For Opus IVS, Amanda understands how critical it is to identify and address these silos head-on. And the first step is openly acknowledging their existence. "We have silos - to be open and honest. They exist, and as an organization, we know [that's one area we must work on to improve]. I love the fact that everyone's driving towards that. It's not just HR or the leadership team saying that."

At Opus IVS, breaking down these barriers isn't just the responsibility of leadership—it's a collective effort. By recognizing the issue and encouraging a culture where collaboration and open communication are prioritized, the organization takes actionable steps to unify its teams and improve alignment. This proactive approach helps employees at all levels work more effectively, driving innovation and results.

Opus IVS staff at their First Annual Ugly Sweater Contest

Happy's Coaching Circles became a cornerstone of this effort. A Coaching Circle allows employees to create a custom group of colleagues—whether peers, supervisors, or direct reports—with whom they frequently work with or want to build stronger relationships. Once the Circle is established, Happy Coach provides daily, targeted coaching insights about these colleagues. This feature prioritizes relevant, actionable guidance aimed at improving how they work together.

These circles have helped bridge departmental gaps, creating a more unified work environment. Amanda expressed her excitement about expanding this initiative in 2025, recognizing its potential to further enhance teamwork and alignment.

The Challenge of Merging Cultures and Building Understanding

Opus IVS is part of the larger Opus Group, a dynamic organization that came together through the acquisition of five companies. While rich in expertise and innovation, this unique structure also presents complexities in unifying diverse processes and cultures.

Combining five companies into one is no small feat. Each organization brought its own culture, processes, and norms. To be successful, they had to find a way to merge these five distinct cultures over time. This meant that for Opus IVS to succeed, it needed to create a unified culture without losing the strengths each legacy organization contributed.

Amanda and her team recognized that sustaining this cohesion would require a deliberate, strategic approach. An approach that Happy has become an important part of. Happy's DISC-based assessment and personalized Happy Workstyles help by giving employees practical tools to improve understanding and adapt their interactions with others in daily work.

Happy's tools offer real-time coaching and communication insights that support employees through key interactions. Amanda shared an example of how an employee used Happy's insights to prepare for a meeting with a team member with great results.

Before a meeting, this employee reviewed a colleague's Workstyle, noting that the person preferred time to process information. "She knew ahead of time that [the colleague] liked to process information, take their time, and analyze thoroughly. So, she provided data in advance for review, which made the meeting much more productive in reaching the needed decision."

By providing key data ahead of time, they were able to have a far more productive and efficient discussion, highlighting the power of tailored communication.

These efforts have empowered employees to build trust, empathy, and stronger connections, driving engagement and productivity. By integrating these practices into their development programs, Opus IVS continues to align its teams around shared goals and values.

Core Values in Action

At Opus IVS, core values like being customer-oriented, results-driven, innovative, and collaborative are not just ideals—they guide how the organization operates every day. Amanda emphasized that these values are deeply embedded in their culture and that it is important to understand how they all connect to each other.

For example, while delivering exceptional customer experiences is the top priority, Amanda knows success depends heavily on teamwork. Employees collaborating and communicating well are better positioned to drive innovation and deliver measurable results for the customer.

As CHRO, Amanda believes that putting a focus on people, and helping to build a workplace that thrives as a result of its strong team dynamic, is a central part of her role. She recognizes that teamwork lays the foundation for both short-term and long-term success.

Enhancing Leadership and Communication

Leaders at Opus IVS have also seen significant benefits from using Happy's tools. Amanda explained how these resources help her tailor communication to meet the individual needs of her colleagues.

One example she shared involved her interactions with the company's CEO. His Happy Workstyle profile emphasizes a preference for concise, direct communication. Understanding this, Amanda now structures her updates to be brief yet thorough—getting straight to the point while still covering the essential details. This adjustment has improved the efficiency and clarity of their interactions.

These insights—which Amanda often calls "CliffsNotes" for workplace relationships—enable leaders and employees to engage more effectively. By applying these tools herself, she demonstrates how understanding different communication styles and preferences leads to fewer misunderstandings, stronger collaboration, and, ultimately, better results. This approach has not only improved her interactions with colleagues but also serves as a guide for others to work more effectively together.

Lessons for Other Organizations

The experiences of Opus IVS offer valuable lessons for other teams striving to enhance their workplace dynamics. Their journey demonstrates how even the most complex organizational challenges—such as merging multiple cultures and overcoming communication barriers—can be addressed with the right tools and strategies. Opus IVS has created a foundation for stronger collaboration and better results by encouraging a culture of understanding, improving communication, and reinforcing shared values.

Here are some key takeaways that other organizations can apply to their teams:

1. Understand and Adapt to Workstyles: Insights into communication and decision-making preferences lead to more effective interactions and collaboration.
2. Break Down Silos: Silos stifle innovation. Promoting cross-functional relationships and creating structured opportunities for collaboration can foster a more connected workplace.
3. Reinforce Core Values: Values should be more than statements and guide daily actions. Happy's tools help organizations consistently practice their values.
4. Leverage Personalized Coaching: Behavioral insights enable leaders and employees to tailor their communication strategies, resulting in stronger relationships and higher engagement.
5. Invest in Continuous Improvement: Amanda's vision for 2025 highlights the importance of ongoing development. Opus IVS aims to achieve even greater alignment and collaboration by refining their use of Happy.

Looking Ahead

As Opus IVS continues integrating Happy into its operations, the company remains focused on delivering exceptional results through innovation and teamwork. Their journey underscores the power of understanding people to create stronger, more connected teams.

Opus IVS HR Team

For organizations grappling with similar challenges, tools like Happy provide the insights needed to build better collaboration and communication. By investing in people-first strategies, companies can unlock their full potential and create workplaces where employees thrive and customers benefit as a result.

Ready to see what's possible for your team? Start your journey with Happy today and discover how you can build a more collaborative, engaged, and successful organization.