The unwritten rules that define culture
And how to find the words for better internal communications
So your culture is described as ‘collaborative’, and the leadership team likes to be ‘open and transparent’. Sounds great, but if you’re an internal comms leader, you know that culture isn’t something you can create in a nice slide deck.
If you feel like there’s a gap between what’s written on the walls, and what’s being felt and experienced, there’s a good chance you’re onto something. But, can you explain it simply, and clearly so that it can be addressed?
When something’s unspoken, it’s impossible to change. If you’re struggling to articulate your cultural identity, finish these 10 sentences to help identify the reality to help your team, and your leaders see the real picture.
10 questions to articulate your unwritten rules:
"The fastest way to get noticed for the wrong reasons is to..."
"To be seen as a 'high performer' here, you have to act like..."
"If someone disagrees with a big idea / new strategy / change programme, they usually...."
"Decisions are officially made in meetings, but they actually happen in..."
"If I don’t reply to a message within 30 minutes, the assumption is..."
"The work that gets celebrated here is…while the work that keeps the lights on is..."
"The people who get promoted here are usually the ones who..."
"If I take a full lunch break, or log off on time, I feel like my manager will think…”
"When someone admits they are struggling or burnt out, the standard response is..."
"Psychological safety here means we can talk openly about [X], but nobody ever talks about [Y].”
If the gap between these answers and your core values, or cultural ambitions is too wide, your internal messaging will always feel like inauthentic noise.
Use these prompts in your next team meeting, pulse survey or 121, so you can start to get a clearer articulation of your cultural reality.
Once you can name the "unwritten rule," you can start the work of rewriting it.
If you’re seeing a gap between your values and your employees’ experience, get in touch for a chat about how we can help you to take realistic steps in the right direction.
