Culture Isn't a Poster on the Wall — It's What Happens When You're Not Looking

Karen wrote her agency's values herself — Courage, Generosity, Candor, Care — alone on a Saturday morning with a legal pad. She believed every word. So why did her newest hire quit after 91 days with a message that said, "Everyone is afraid of you. They smile in your meetings and then go to the parking lot to actually talk"?

In this episode, Steve Goodner unpacks the difference between your "wall culture" — the values you painted on the conference room — and your "hallway culture," the one your people actually live in when you're not in the room. You'll learn why culture is a climate (not a statement), why the owner is always the thermostat whether they mean to be or not, and what MIT's research on a million employee reviews reveals about why people really leave. Plus four practices to start closing the gap this week — beginning with the single question that will tell you more than any engagement survey ever could.

Week 9 of 40 in The Thriving Business Ecosystem: More Success with Less Stress.