Why Actions Trump Words for Building Real Culture

Culture is often mistaken for slogans on a wall or vague statements at meetings, but it truly lives in what people repeatedly do—especially when leaders aren't around. Teams with a value like honesty may talk about integrity, but if people fudge results to hit targets while managers look away, that's the culture in action. Imagine a manager preaching punctuality yet arriving late: soon, lateness becomes the true standard. Small actions, replicated day after day, set 'how things are done here.'

A well-designed culture uses memorable or even 'shocking' rules to make these values stick. Take the example of an NFL coach who fined players for showing up merely on time, insisting that meetings began five minutes early. At first, everyone protested, but the rule made the value of preparation non-negotiable. Over time, the team internalized the message: readiness wasn't optional.

Fresh members and outsiders are the best mirrors for your real culture. They notice the gap between what's said and what’s actually done—and can pinpoint where values break down. This ongoing vigilance keeps the culture from drifting into accidental or toxic behaviors.

These principles rest on cognitive psychology's emphasis on habit loops—behavior shaped by consistent cues and reinforcement. Leading organizations understand that what gets rewarded, remembered, and repeated—no matter how small—is what defines them.

Pick a value you want your group or yourself to truly live. Write down a few concrete ways that value could actually show up in actions when no one is monitoring you. Then, get perspective from someone new or outside your routine—they’ll spot gaps between what’s supposed to happen and what actually does. Finally, invent one daily rule or practice that makes the value impossible to ignore, delivering the lesson through routine, not rhetoric. Give this a try; the difference between what you promise and what you actually do will become strikingly clear.