Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall - it’s what people actually do

Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall - it’s what people actually do

As a business coach & leadership trainer, I often encounter companies that have values, but struggle to bring them to life. They’re listed on websites or office walls, but rarely influence how teams actually work. Here’s a structured, human-centered approach I recommend to make culture real—and make values actionable:

🔹 Step 1 - Focus on What Matters Now

Start by identifying the values most relevant to your team’s current goals or transformation. For example:

✅ Innovative: to foster experimentation and creativity

✅ Ambitious: to raise the bar for performance and growth

✅ Honest: to build trust and open communication

🔹 Step 2 - Self-Assess with Intent

Invite team members to rate themselves on each value—honestly and without judgment. This creates personal ownership and highlights development areas.

🔹 Step 3 - Define Practical Focus Areas

Break each value into specific behaviors. For example:

• Innovative

  • Suggests new ways of working

  • Tests ideas quickly and learns from failure

  • Challenges “how we’ve always done it”

• Honest

  • Speaks up when something feels off

  • Gives and invites constructive feedback

  • Owns mistakes without blame

• Ambitious

  • Sets bold goals

  • Stretches beyond comfort zones

  • Pushes for progress, not perfection

🔹 Step 4 - Design Small Experiments

Let each person choose one focus area to work on. For example, to improve “speaking up,” someone might:

✅ Proactively ask for feedback after meetings

✅ Commit to raising one concern per working sequence

✅ Practice sharing unfinished ideas in brainstorming sessions

🔹 Step 5 - Build in Peer Feedback

Introduce quarterly feedback loops. Peers rate behaviors they’ve observed—making progress visible and encouraging continuous reflection.

🔹 Step 6 - Co-Create the Culture

Once individuals start living the values, gather the team to:

✅ Share stories of how they’ve demonstrated each value

✅ Align around the values that resonate most

✅ Define shared norms and commitments as a group

This makes your culture something people co-own—not something handed down from leadership or HR.

And if you’re working across cultures, don’t forget: national culture shapes how values show up. Erin Meyer’s Culture Map is a great resource for navigating these dynamics.

Culture isn’t declared. It’s practiced.

With a clear process and personal accountability, your values can become the foundation for real behavioral change—and a culture that scales with your ambitions.

Email: sandrine.gelin@glshift.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrinelamrani

Make an appointment: https://www.glshift.com/book-online

Web Site: www.glshift.com

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