Culture Design
How do people in your organisation experience and describe the culture? What role does culture play in the success of your organisation? As a leader, what responsibility do you have in shaping it?
Culture can be described as “the way we do things around here.” It is shaped by the behaviours you model as a leader, the actions you overlook, and the things you choose to reward or challenge.
Most business leaders recognise that culture is essential, yet it often gets sidelined in business planning and strategy because it feels too vague, too difficult, or too hard to measure. But that’s a misconception. Building a great culture requires a commitment to learning, an openness to vulnerability, and a drive to create an environment where people truly feel they belong.
“Go fast, go alone. Go far, go together.” – Proverb
A great culture isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for sustained success.
Building a Culture where People Thrive
Culture isn’t static, it evolves through daily interactions. The strongest cultures foster trust, create a shared sense of purpose, and empower people to do their best work.
If you’re looking to shape a culture that drives both performance and engagement, let’s start a conversation.
Benefits of Culture Design
How to link your culture to your organisation’s purpose, vision, and values, so that everyone understands how you will work together to achieve shared objectives
How to create psychological safety—a space where people can share ideas, be open and authentic, and commit to shared values and behaviours
Embracing that people are different, care about different things, and have different perspectives and experiences, that enhance the organisation
How the emotional side of the culture impacts the effectiveness of everyday functioning; things like decision-making, collaboration, meetings, and feedback
How to measure and use data to monitor cultural changes, just like you would with any other business priority, and how to celebrate positive shifts
What You Will Learn
In my culture design programs and workshops, you’ll learn what drives your current culture. Does it feel like a family, or a hierarchy? Is it driven by market forces, by a leader’s vision, or by a desire to do good?
What elements of the culture do you want to keep, or eliminate? What do people love and celebrate in the culture, and what is everyone thinking, and not saying? And how would you know?
Swipe to see what you will learn
One
What kind of culture do you have now: Is it a Clan, Hierarchy, or Market-driven culture? Does it prioritise vision, customers, or doing good? Cultures evolve and can be shaped with intention.
Two
How committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion benefits both your team and the organisation.
Three
How to link your culture to your organisation’s purpose, vision, and values, so that every employee understands the overarching goals and their individual role in achieving them.
Four
How to create psychological safety—a space where people can share ideas, take risks, and commit to agreed-upon values and behaviours.
Five
How to recognise that people are different, care about different things, and have different strengths. A culture that embraces this leads to a more cohesive and productive team.
Six
How the emotional side of culture impacts the functional side—things like decision-making, collaboration, meetings, and feedback.
Seven
How to measure and use data to monitor cultural changes, just like you would with any other business priority.
Harness the Energy and Wisdom Already Present to Transform the Culture
We will work intentionally to design a culture that supports the organisation’s purpose, vision, and values.
When the culture is a core part of the success plan, it generates commitment, and people can do their best work alongside their colleagues.
Culture: The Unseen Force that Shapes Success
Culture can feel intangible, something you sense rather than see. Yet, it’s the foundation that shapes how people work together, make decisions, and drive success.
Organisational culture isn’t just about values on a wall or company perks. It’s about what truly happens day to day, the behaviours that are encouraged, the unwritten rules that guide interactions, and the way trust is built (or broken).
Understanding Culture: What’s Beneath the Surface
Much like an iceberg, the most influential aspects of culture lie beneath the surface. Schein’s model highlights that while we see policies, strategies, and mission statements, the deeper forces—beliefs, assumptions, and shared behaviours, shape how an organisation truly operates.
Leaders play a key role. Culture is reflected in their actions, the expectations they set, and even what they choose to measure. It’s in the way colleagues interact, the feedback that’s given (or avoided), and the behaviours that are rewarded or ignored.
Why Trust is the Cornerstone of Culture
Trust is the glue that holds a strong culture together. When trust exists, people feel psychologically safe—they contribute ideas, admit mistakes, and work through challenges together. Without it, they retreat, avoid difficult conversations, and operate in silos.
High Trust Environments
Open, honest communication
Active listening and constructive feedback
Consistency between words and actions
A culture of learning, not blame
Low Trust Environments
Fear of speaking up
Unclear expectations and favouritism
Micromanagement and lack of autonomy
Blame culture and avoidance of accountability
My Approach
In our culture design collaboration, we’ll follow four key stages that understand where you are now, and where you want to be. With sensitivity, and appropriate levels of privacy and collaboration, we build an environment of safety, where you move from an honest description of the current state, to an inspiring design for the future culture.
Discover
Asses your culture with curiosity and confidentiality
Direction
Identify improvements, embrace conflict, and build empathy
Design
Define the future culture based on purpose, values, and behaviours
Deliver
Commit to change with clear priorities and collective action
Real Results, Lasting Impact
“Culture isn’t just a ‘nice to have.’ It’s the heartbeat of our business. Penny helped us see that—and helped us bring it to life in everything we do.”
Zsuzsi Szollosi, A Collected Man
Culture Growth & Development
Popular sessions include Defining Purpose, Living Our Values, Courageous Conversations, Active Listening, Communication Skills, and Effective Feedback. These can be delivered as stand-alone sessions or as part of a larger culture design programme.
Culture Design Progamme
A bespoke programme where we assess your current culture, identify challenges and opportunities, and create an inspiring, actionable plan for cultural transformation. I often use the Fearless Culture Canvas developed by Gustavo Razzetti.
Insights for Change
Take a look at my insights. I share suggestions on more effective leadership, and what I have learnt personally and professionally in the work and through stimulating conversations with clients.
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Let’s Talk
Reach out to discuss how our Leading with Purpose programmes can transform leadership in your organisation.
