Recently, a senior nonprofit leader contacted me about facilitating a series of workshops to help her team improve their collaboration and teamwork. As we explored what was driving the need, our conversation drifted into a discussion about their current workplace culture and how it was affecting team dynamics.
It became clear that parts of their culture weren’t working—or at least needed some attention.
When I brought this up, she paused, looked up at a shelf of binders, reached for one, and said, “Oh—we did culture already.” She flipped it open and pointed to a page labeled Core Values.
“We did this a couple of years ago,” she added, “but… I can’t really remember much about it. It didn’t really change anything. But we’ve already done that.”
Turns out, they had a single workshop. They came up with some inspiring values, typed them up, and distributed a copy to everyone.
And then… nothing.
No follow-up conversations.
No guidance on how to live those values in daily work.
No clarity on what behaviors would demonstrate the values in action.
No shifts in how decisions were made or how people communicated.
But, in their mind, they had “done culture.”
Workplace Culture Isn’t a Once-and-Done Activity
This scenario isn’t unusual. I’ve heard some version of this story over and over.
Organizations define a few core values—usually with the best of intentions—and then move on, assuming their work is done. Or they hold a single workshop and hope it will “fix” communication challenges or improve collaboration among everyone. They “check the box” and call it done.
As a result, when things don’t really change, they mistakenly conclude that culture work doesn’t work.
The truth? A set of values on the wall can’t fix workplace culture. Because that’s not culture.
Culture Is How People Behave When No One’s Looking
It isn’t what’s printed in a binder. It’s not what we say in staff meetings.
In other words, culture is the behavior that actually happens, day in and day out.
Watch for these symptoms in your office:
- People struggle to communicate when feeling under pressure.
- Disagreement is causing decisions to get stalled.
- Feedback is rarely delivered or avoided altogether.
- Certain positive behaviors get celebrated, while others are quietly ignored.
Culture is what’s allowed, expected, and reinforced—even if no one writes it down.
Ultimately, culture ends up being what people learn to do more of because of what the organization tolerates and rewards in practice.
Culture is what shapes the experience of working in your organization every single day. And whether or not you’ve intentionally defined culture in your organization, you have one.
Culture Work Is Ongoing—Because People Are Always Changing
While defining values is a great first step, values alone won’t shape your workplace culture.
To really “do” culture, you need ongoing effort—connect your values to the daily habits, systems, and decisions your team makes during conversations, reflection, and action planning.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Have real conversations about what your values mean—and don’t mean.
- Define specific behaviors that reflect your values in action.
- Align your policies, hiring practices, and leadership behaviors with those values.
- Revisit and refine over time, especially as your team grows or changes.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about being intentional and consistent.
So… Have You “Done” Culture?
If your team is struggling with collaboration, communication, or alignment, and you’ve found yourself thinking, “We already did culture,” it might be time to take a second look.
Culture isn’t a box to check. It’s the foundation that shapes and contributes to everything else you do.
The good news? You don’t need to start from scratch—you just need to start again, this time with intention. For example, start small. Pick one area to focus on: what behaviors demonstrate your values, how you give feedback, how you make decisions, or how your team handles disagreement.
The Culture Threads Assessment is a structured diagnostic process that gives you a clear, honest picture of your organization’s current culture: what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s underneath the patterns you keep seeing.
Culture is built in the day-to-day, not in a single workshop. If you’re dealing with culture challenges that haven’t responded to quick fixes, I’d like to hear about your situation. An initial conversation is no-pressure and is focused on whether this is the right fit.
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I share practical strategies for strengthening workplace culture, building leadership alignment, and turning good intentions into actual practice.
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