We’ve all done it: the fun committees, the table tents, the posters… but when it comes down to it, we know that’s not how we really get the organizational culture we want—or the business performance we need. Instead, we need to change the things that really matter, like how our people work together to achieve business impact. But how does one do that best? Let's take a look at the decisions, processes, and policies (big and small) that actually work to evolve your org culture.

1. well,it may take a little coaching
on transformational change
leadership.
IF YOU HAVE A FUN
COMMITTEE, YOU’RE
DOING IT WRONG.
And other tips for actually evolving your culture.
*VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous
Upscaling the organization for the VUCA* world.

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We’ve all done it:
the fun
committees, the
table tents, the
posters…

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But as you might
have noticed, they
haven’t done much
to get us the culture
(or business
performance)
we want.

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Why? Because on their
own, those sort of things
don’t work.
They simply
aren’t how
you evolve
culture.

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You evolve your
culture by changing
the things that really
matter.

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Things like
how you
work
together to
achieve
business
impact.
To shape culture, you
must evolve the
fundamental behaviors
and everyday experiences
that touch your people.

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This means thinking about how
every decision, process, & policy
(big and small)
will support the culture you want.

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If you don’t,
your people
will have a
healthy level
of skepticism
when you “talk
culture.”
If the gap between WHAT
YOU SAY AND WHAT YOU DO is wide,
skepticism and confusion will increase.
You’ll see it in YOUR EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION
NUMBERS.

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Let’s look at what all
this means in real
life.

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Leadership retreats alone won’t cut it
Won’t make it real Will make it real
Real actions taken to align to stated
values…including changes to
leadership when necessary
Leadership talking about change
without changing themselves
Leadership measured on achieving
business results
Assuming current leaders
know how to shape and
reinforce the culture you desire
 One-and-done email
communications or town
halls
 Leadership measured on both the
WHAT and the HOW of achieving
business results
 Leadership development
and coaching that is specific
to the desired culture
 Ongoing leadership
discussions on culture
across the organization
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Values posters never get the work done.
Not so much Sure will!
Priority given to culture in strategy
and investment decisions
Talk about culture, yet make no
real investment in it
 Forced accountability through
increased bureaucracy
 Thinking open floor plans alone
will foster collaboration and
innovation
 Laser focus on executing
projects on time and on
budget alone
Elimination of “Thou Shall Not”
policies and a demonstrated show
of trust at all levels
Real creative work
opportunities supported by
safe environments and
management support
 Inclusion of team building
and group learning as part
of project execution
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Just talking about it won’t get your
people on board.
Assessment of both
cultural fit and
contribution to
organizational
diversity while hiring
Goal setting for
individuals and groups
focused on both the
what and the how of
results
Nope. Yes!
Onboarding and planned socialization
experiences for new hires and transfers
Reliance on employee handbooks
and “word of mouth” norms alone
 Hiring and staffing for purely
“technical” capabilities
Purely results- or budget-
oriented goals set for
individuals and groups
 One-size-fits-all set of
behavior expectations for
everyone
Assessment of both cultural fit and
contribution to organizational
diversity when hiring
 Goal setting for individuals and
groups focused on both the
WHAT and the HOW of results
 Clear articulation of expected
behaviors for each job role, with
performance measures to match
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In short:
To truly evolve
culture, you
have to take
real action
and make
the hard
choices.

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1) We’ve all done a lot of pretty useless things to try and evolve our cultures.
2) But good culture doesn’t come from just doing things. It comes from including culture in
the things you already do or plan to do.
3) Culture has to be taken into account with every business decision. If not, your people
won’t believe you really mean it. (Because you don’t really mean it)
4) To evolve your culture, focus on how culture is influenced by how you:
Lead and develop managers
Prioritize and execute the work
Hire, onboard, and manage your people
5) Like what you’ve read? Share it! (See that arrow in the left corner?)
Got it? Let’s review:
Your people will thank you.

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your people = your success.
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need help putting these culture ideas into action?
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measurable, outcomes, real results, and getting your people out of their seats
and engaged in your company’s growth.
info@peoplefirm.com (206) 462-6462