Workplace culture isn’t just about corporate policies or glossy mission statements—it’s a reflection of the collective behaviors, values, and emotional energy of the people who make up the organization. In this episode, we dive into the dynamic interplay between internal culture (the emotions and values we carry) and external culture (the workplace dynamics we experience).
We explore how personal actions ripple through an organization, the role of trust and integrity, and why addressing systems—not just people—is the key to creating meaningful and lasting cultural change. This episode offers actionable insights for leaders, managers, and employees alike, helping you become a more intentional culture shaper from the inside out.
Key Themes and Takeaways:
1. The Emotional Organization: Culture Is Built on Trust
Behind every process, goal, and team dynamic is a web of emotions. Workplace culture thrives on the trust between employees and the organization—a concept known as the psychological contract.
2. Internal vs. External Culture: A Personal Reflection
Culture is shaped by how we show up in every interaction. Host Denaige shares a story about consulting for a manufacturing company where a CEO’s visible frustration—symbolized by a hammer hole in the boardroom wall—set the tone for a culture of fear.
3. Building Culture With Intention
Culture isn’t simply about empathy—it’s about intentionally balancing trust, accountability, and respect. Edgar Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture provides a framework for understanding how culture is created:
4. The Middle-Management Connection
Middle managers are often caught between leadership’s lofty ideals and the realities of what their teams need. This creates unique challenges:
Mixed Messages: Leadership espouses values like collaboration but rewards individual performance.
Pressure from Both Sides: Managers are asked to deliver results while maintaining morale, often with limited resources.
Emotional Exhaustion: Without alignment and support, middle managers can feel isolated and powerless to create meaningful change.
Key Insight: When managers try to take ownership of culture in the absence of top-down alignment, it leads to fragmented subcultures and unequal employee experiences.
5. Why Culture Initiatives Often Fail
Many workplace culture efforts fail because they address symptoms, not root causes. Common missteps include:
Leadership training that ignores emotional work and bias.
DEI programs that lack structural alignment.
Flexible work policies that aren’t equitably implemented.
Recognition programs that exclude underrepresented employees.
Key Insight: Without integrity—ensuring actions align with stated values—employees become disillusioned, leading to mistrust and disengagement.
6. The Real Solution: Focus on Systems
Improving workplace culture doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It’s about getting back to basics: efficiency, transparency, and trust.
