Culture Without the Cringe
Build something that works, not something that performs
Culture has become a performance. Values posters. Slogans. Rituals. “Fun.” None of which matter if behaviour contradicts them.
Real culture isn’t a vibe. It’s a system.
And most organisations don’t need more culture initiatives…they need more clarity, consistency, and capability.
Culture is not what you say. It’s what you tolerate.
Culture is shaped by:
- Who gets promoted
- Who gets listened to
- Who gets away with what
- How decisions are made
- How conflict is handled
- How leaders behave under pressure
Culture is not the offsite. It’s the Tuesday morning meeting.
And the data is clear: leadership behaviour is the strongest predictor of culture health.
Case Example: The Company With “Great Culture”… Until It Wasn’t
A hybrid tech team prided itself on having a “strong culture.” Values. Rituals. A very enthusiastic Slack channel.
Then the business hit a rough quarter.
- Leaders avoided hard conversations
- Decisions stalled
- Blame increased
- Psychological safety evaporated
Their culture wasn’t strong. It was un‑tested.
Once decision‑making clarity, leadership behaviours, and team rituals were rebuilt, the culture became something people could rely on… not just talk about.
Why culture becomes cringe
- It’s performative
- It’s disconnected from reality
- It’s designed for branding
- It tries too hard to be “fun”
- It ignores the actual work
People don’t want beanbags. They want clarity, fairness, and leaders who don’t disappear when things get messy.
Research backs this up: toxic culture is one of the top predictors of attrition.
Culture is a capability system
The strongest cultures are built on:
- Leadership behaviour
- Decision‑making clarity
- Team rituals
- Communication norms
- Psychological safety
Culture isn’t built in the offsite. It’s built in the everyday.
Talent‑Unboxed Insight
Culture isn’t created by slogans, it’s created by capability. Talent‑Unboxed helps organisations build culture through clarity, not performance.