Why Core Values Sustain Culture and Drive Success

Moments make noise. Movements drive change. In culture transformation, it’s tempting to focus energy on the “big moments”: 💥 the launch event, 💥 the campaign drop, 💥 the CEO speech. These are powerful and important punctuation points. They create visibility, signal intent, and rally attention. But moments alone won’t shift a culture. To create lasting impact, you need to build a movement: a connected, evolving journey of 🧭 actions, 🧭 conversations and 🧭 behaviours that keep momentum alive long after the spotlight fades. The real work happens in the spaces between the moments - where trust is built, habits form, and culture takes root 🌳. ❓ Do you have examples of movements that have driven lasting change? #CultureChange #Transformation #ChangeLeadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness

Ever felt like your company's culture is holding you back? I have, and here's what I've learned about fixing it: 1. Start with a Cultural Audit: Identify gaps between stated values and actual practices. This is crucial for real change. 2. Involve Everyone: Culture isn't just top-down. Engage employees at all levels to define and embrace the desired culture. 3. Align Systems: Ensure your hiring, rewards, and promotions reflect your cultural values. This alignment is key. 4. Communicate Relentlessly: Keep the conversation going. Share successes and challenges openly. 5. Be Patient: Culture change takes time. Stay committed and consistent. These steps have helped me drive positive change in my own ventures. How do you approach cultural transformation in your organization? #CultureChange #BusinessGrowth

I stumbled upon this thought during a recent conversation with my colleagues: culture isn’t something you declare it’s something you live every day. At first, it sounded simple, almost obvious. But the more I reflected, the more I realized how complex and delicate it really is. Cultural change isn’t about slogans, policies, or big initiatives. It’s about the small, consistent choices we make: how we listen, how we give feedback, how we celebrate wins and learn from failures. These tiny moments, repeated over time, shape the environment we work in and the relationships we build. 🤝 As James Clear writes in Atomic Habits, 📖 “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Culture is that system — what guides us when no one’s watching. Change is never easy, but it’s worth it. When culture evolves, people flourish and everything else follows. Without it, even the best strategies and plans can falter.💬 #Culturalchange #Workplaceculture #Reflection

Here's a question that reveals everything about your culture: "𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲?" After 40+ years of culture transformation work, I identified 3 distinct stages: STAGE 1: Grow Culture You know you need positive culture but aren't sure where to start. STAGE 2: Grow Culture. Grow People. You've implemented basics and need systems for accelerated development. STAGE 3: Grow Culture. Grow People. Grow Profits. You're measuring culture impact on business results. Most organizations are stuck between Stage 1 and 2. The gap? Clear pathways for human development. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 (𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑰 𝒊𝒏 𝑻.𝑯.𝑹.𝑰.𝑽.𝑬.) 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀𝑶𝑵𝑬. Golden 1 Credit Union led by Heather Andrade Neumann? All 2,100 employees have IDPs. The result? Forbes Best Employer in California 4 years running. Want to know your stage? Take the FREE Work Positive Culture Assessment: https://workpositive.today Then grab Becoming @ Work: How To T.H.R.I.V.E in Today's Culture for your roadmap: https://a.co/d/a5LQvQY #TalentDevelopment #EmployeeGrowth #CultureStrategy #WorkPositive #CultureEatsStrategyforBreakfast

We create with clients, for clients. Gen Z and the consumer trends have already shown us the way. From uploading videos on reels, live streams on LinkedIn or FB, engagement levels peaks on TikTok, to content that celebrates everyday wins — people are hungry to be seen and heard. They don’t want to wait for annual reviews or hidden inbox notes. They want appreciation where it matters, in the moment, amplified to the right audiences. More than that every organisation needs to let others know the kind of work happening at their company, they need to identify the level of leadership that exist, the behaviours that define their culture and values and to spiral the positive vibes across the organisation. That’s why our latest innovations — Post a Win, Boost, and Leader Broadcast — feel so powerful. • Post a Win makes recognition visible, public, and contagious. • Boost lets peers amplify it, creating identity and belonging. • Leader Broadcast allows leaders to extend recognition beyond nudges — into the channels and conversations that truly shape culture. https://lnkd.in/d6wEfyXE And here’s the bigger picture: these are just three of eight new capabilities launched in the last three months. Each one rooted in what our research tells us and what our clients need. Because at O.C. Tanner, we don’t build in isolation. We learn from our audience. We let our users lead. 📊 The 2025 Global Culture Report reminds us: • 61% of Gen Z value recognition that’s personal and purpose-driven • Yet 54% say what they receive still feels empty • Only 21% of organizations have recognition deeply embedded in culture — but those who do are 16× more likely to retain Gen Z This is why we design recognition as more than a gesture. It’s a strategy. A framework. A measurable driver of culture and business outcomes. But let’s be clear: tools alone don’t transform culture. Transformation happens when recognition is: ✔️ Designed with intent ✔️ Measured with precision ✔️ Reinforced through education ✔️ Aligned with leadership vision The future of work won’t be built on gratitude alone. It will be built on identity, belonging, and purpose — amplified by recognition that truly matters. #CultureLeadership #RecognitionStrategy #EmployeeExperience #FutureOfWork #OCTanner

🏛️𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀, 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲. Mike Fisher’s brilliant piece, "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁)", is a must-read for anyone navigating company growth. As companies grow, from 10 to 100 to 3,000, culture must shift from something lived informally to something designed intentionally. Fisher distinguishes 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝘀. 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲: 🔹𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 = more people, more output. 🔹𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 = more output without adding complexity. Most companies grow culture passively in the early days. But without systems, rituals, and reinforcement, that culture fractures. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀: 🔹Small Teams: Culture by proximity. Personal, fluid, and intuitive. 🔹Medium Teams: Culture under pressure. Misalignment creeps in. Rituals become fragmented. 🔹Large Teams: Culture by design. Needs infrastructure, reinforcement, and leadership beyond visibility. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹: 🔹Blameless postmortems 🔹Decision-making frameworks 🔹Story-driven onboarding 🔹Strong feedback loops 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀: 🔹Founder osmosis 🔹Organic bonding 🔹Unspoken norms 🔹Outdated rituals that go unquestioned 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀: 🔹Codifying early, revisiting often 🔹Designing for now, not nostalgia 🔹Modeling values in everyday behavior 🔹Building cross-functional glue 🔹Telling stories that reinforce, not just listing values “𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.” – Mike Fisher 👉 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 🔗Link to the article in the comments. #Leadership #Culture #Teams

Organizational culture is a complex blend of beliefs, values, behaviors, and traditions that shape how work gets done. As people grow and change within an organization, so does the culture, sometimes subtly but always meaningfully. Understanding and defining culture can be difficult, but its effects are clear and substantial. Culture is shaped by how people interact with each other and by their individual characteristics. It cannot be intentionally designed or planned, but it can certainly be influenced. Swipe right to learn how you can go about influencing your organizational culture. 👉 #AgileLeadership #WorkCulture #CompanyCulture

𝗘𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝘄 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 – 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲   The Raw Culture Meet is 𝗘𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗻𝘁’𝘀 initiative to explore the realities of culture in fast-growing organizations, the daily choices, challenges, and stories that shape people’s experiences.   We had the privilege of hosting Anurag Verma, who shared powerful insights on wellbeing, leadership, and the role of managers as true culture carriers. Special appreciation to Facctum for their inspiring culture story, and to our participants whose energy made the dialogue impactful.   𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀- • Culture is owned by everyone, not just HR. • Wellbeing drives sustainable performance. • Feedback and openness strengthen resilience. • Generational shifts are redefining leadership.   With Raw Culture Meet, 𝗘𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗻𝘁 fosters a community of openness and shared learning, building workplaces of tomorrow.   Stay tuned for more insights and open dialogues with Ekaant.   𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝘄 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀 👇https://lnkd.in/gUaQcKrV Himanshu Sharma ♾️Dr. Pradyumna Pandey Bhagat Singh Harshit Sambyal #Ekaant #RawCultureMeet #WorkplaceCulture #Wellbeing #Leadership #FutureOfWork

If your culture can’t evolve, it won’t survive! In constant change, the strongest organizations build a compound culture, one that layers new norms on top of core values instead of replacing them. Three ways to build a compound culture: 1. Protect your core, evolve the rest. Define 3–5 non-negotiable values, then flex around them. 2. Create culture bridges. Form cross-functional teams to design new rituals and ways of working. 3. Experiment & adapt. Pilot small behavior changes, measure impact, and scale what works. Ask your team: • What part of our culture should never change and what must? • Do people feel safe shaping new norms? • What small signal could show “adaptation is who we are”? In times of disruption, compound cultures don’t just survive: they compound their strength. I would love to hear ways your organization is evolving its culture this year. #CompoundCulture #ChangeLeadership #CultureDesign #OrganizationalChange #AdaptiveLeadership

FAQ Friday: "How long does culture change take?" Real culture transformation takes 18-24 months minimum. I know organizations feel frustrated with this timeline, especially when they're dealing with urgent problems. But, I've discovered - the teams that accept this reality actually move faster. Why? Because they stop wasting energy on quick fixes that don't work. Instead, they invest in systematic approaches that address root causes. The organizations doing this work well celebrate small wins along the way. They track progress monthly, not daily. They build systems that support long-term growth. They are not fixing surface problems - they're healing systems that took decades to build. That work requires patience, intention, and step-by-step progress. Think of it like tending a garden. You don't plant seeds and expect flowers tomorrow. If somethings not working, you adapt to the changing needs. You water and fertilize based on the needs of each plant, trust the process, and celebrate each sign of growth. What's one culture shift you've seen gain momentum over time in your workplace? #CultureChange #ConsultantLife #DEIJB #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalDevelopment #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation #EntrepreneurLife #WorkplaceTransformation #ProfessionalDevelopment #AuthenticLeadership #BusinessCoaching #InclusiveLeadership #CultureTransformation