How would you know if your studio's culture is toxic—before it's too late?

In this exclusive conversation, we talk with Charlie Sull, co-founder of CultureX and researcher with MIT, about how to spot, measure, and fix toxic workplace culture—especially in the high-stakes world of game development.

Forget ping pong tables and free snacks. Culture is your operating system, and if leaders don't prioritize it, dysfunction spreads fast.

We break down:

• What creates a toxic culture
• The Toxic Five behaviors that damage morale and hurt retention
• Why standard employee surveys fail—and what to do instead
• How AI and Glassdoor data can tell you some hard truths about your company
• Real stats on game studios vs. other industries—who's getting it right?

If you're a studio head, team lead, or future cultural change-maker, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you new tools to build a better workplace.

What You'll Learn:

• Why culture is more than perks—it's your company's operating system
• The Toxic Five traits that silently destroy trust and retention
• How Glassdoor + AI reveal the truth about your team's culture
• Why top leadership, not HR, is key to lasting culture change
• What game dev studios like EA and Blizzard can teach us about reform
• How to apply the Will + Knowledge formula to lead cultural transformation

Books & Authors Mentioned (and Must-Reads!) from This Episode

• The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

- Focuses on the "heart" vs. "science" sides of business—emphasizing the value of culture

• Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

- Referenced for understanding team behavior and dysfunction

• Works by Charles O'Reilly

- Recommended by Charlie Sull for understanding organizational culture and leadership

- Notable titles include Winning Through Innovation and Lead and Disrupt

• Research & insights from CultureX (Charlie Sull's organization)

- Practical tools and AI-driven metrics for measuring and improving workplace culture

🔗 Learn More & Connect Charlie Sull & CultureX 🌐 Website: https://www.culturex.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-sull/ 🎧 Podcast Series: Culture Champions (MIT Sloan Management Review)

Join the Community

Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/

Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial

Let's keep building better games—together.