3 Subtle Signs of Poor Company Culture (and How to Fix it)

A company’s culture – the shared values, attitudes and practices that shape how it operates and how employees interact – has the capacity to propel a business toward success or drag it into decline. When the culture is good, the outcome is great; it can lead to recruitment and retention of top talent, creative problem-solving and honest idea-sharing. On the contrary, a weak culture can have serious consequences, from high staff turnover and low morale to lasting damage to brand reputation. Despite the clear influence of company culture, many people have a hard time spotting weak culture, and even fewer know how to change it. The following examples highlight 3 subtle signs of poor company culture and suggest how you can transform it for the better.

1. Silent Meetings

The issue:
The manager asks for feedback during the strategy meeting and suddenly the room is silent. Employees feel that they have been consistently shut down in the past when attempting to share thoughts and ideas, so now avoid giving feedback at all.

The remedy:
Reward honesty and idea-sharing, even if receiving said feedback is uncomfortable. Motivate leaders to promote inclusivity within teams and encourage individuals to be candid in one-to-one reviews. Take on feedback and demonstrate evident results.

2. Negative Gossip

The issue:
Negative water-cooler chat is rife in the office, with many employees feeling safer expressing their concerns to colleagues rather than senior leadership. Employees feel their worries have not been taken seriously in the past and express feeling ignored. Management is unaware of employee discontent and problems remain unfixed.

The remedy:
Incentivize staff to respond to employee satisfaction surveys and identify actionable areas of change. Ensure the appropriate wellbeing support tools are in place and that employees know how to access them. Communicate clearly to managers that they are expected to lead by example and that gossip is not to be tolerated.

3. Them vs Us

The issue:
Both employees and leaders often talk about the other party in ways which suggest a division, using pronouns “they/them” instead of the more collaborative “we/us”. Employees come across as detached and vocalize a lack of belonging.

The remedy:
Encourage leaders to use inclusive language in team meetings and one-to-one appraisals. Avoid blaming individuals or specific teams and encourage employees to collaborate in problem-solving and decision-making. Celebrate wins collectively, no matter how big or small.