Workplace culture isn't ping-pong tables, free gym memberships or free pizza for hitting goals. Culture is what happens when nobody's watching.
I've worked for or with dozens of organizations who self-label themselves as having a "great culture" on paper. They display their company values with beautiful pictures on their walls, promote teambuilding, have frequent employee engagement events, constant feedback surveys and reward employees who exemplify their displayed values.
I've had a front row seat and watched many of those same organizations struggle when pressure hit and their stated company values had to be leaned on or put to the test. As the popular saying goes, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face".
It seems like nearly every company these days promotes a "great culture", yet very few that I've witnessed get it universally right. A very high number of them get certain aspects correct, but at the same time, they don't develop that culture beyond certain areas, beyond a surface level globally, or get 100% buy-in from all levels.
I'm not saying that there aren't companies that do a great job with building and promoting culture and have deep rooted values. There certainly are. I've experienced firsthand, major brands as well as mom and pop companies exemplify the traits of what are widely considered "good culture" and showcase values.
What Culture Truly Is
Culture is the collective pattern of behavior and decisions that are consistently made. It's a human based operating system that determines overall behavior and what choices people make when decisions fall outside of company policy and when no superior is watching. Culture is built through the constant reinforcement of the behaviors that are rewarded, accountability and the actions of leaders. It answers questions such as: "what do I do when no one is telling me what to do" or "does this decision I am about to make protect my values as well as those of the company"?
What Culture Is Commonly Masked As
Many organizations mistake culture for surface level visuals and confuse their stage props with actual performance. The motivational posters, casual Fridays, happiness surveys, free swag and fake smiles make people feel good. But these things are no different than a quick hit of dopamine followed by a "lull". Everything is designed for the employees to feel good, but the reality is that many of these perks and feelings disappear when revenue dips or any turbulence arises. True culture is embedded and a foundation, not temporary and conditional.
Three Questions to Assess Your Culture
1. What truly gets rewarded here?
Forget what the handbook says should get rewarded. What actually gets promoted, praised, and what personal actions get people paid more?
Examples:
- If you say your company values collaboration but only promotes individual performers, your culture just rewards lone wolves.
- If you say your company values innovation and creativity but there is punishment for every failure, your culture actually rewards playing it safe and taking less risks.
2. What gets tolerated on a daily basis?
The worst behavior you tolerate as a company becomes your actual base standard.
Examples:
- If toxic high performers always keep their jobs or get promoted, your culture values results over people.
- If leaders consistently miss deadlines without consequences, your culture doesn't value accountability.
3. What gets measured?
You ARE the results of what you measure.
Examples:
- If you only measure final output, you'll get output at any cost. This may bring employee burnout, shortcuts, and ethical compromises to the table for your organization.
- If you measure nothing, you'll get complete chaos.
My Observations
Organizations confuse culture with rewards and perks. Many invest in surface-level improvements that may look great, but at the core, their systems reward the exact behaviors they claim to be trying to change and oppose.
Culture change doesn't start with rewards, displaying expected behavior in videos or on walls, or with leadership just saying the right thing out loud. It starts with changing what your systems reward, tolerate, and what you measure daily.
Your culture is your overall system made visible.
Food for Thought
What's one behavior your organization rewards that contradicts its stated values?