Stop waiting to improve company culture: 5 actions you can take now
I’ve heard countless leaders talk about company culture like it’s a someday project. “After performance reviews.” “Once this reorg settles.” “When we finally finish that big initiative.”
But whether you like it or not, culture doesn’t wait for your calendar. It’s being shaped every day by the choices you make — the conversations you have (or don’t), the clarity you provide (or withhold) and the behaviors you model. You don’t need a fancy offsite or a rebrand to improve company culture. You just need to do something before it’s too late.
Here are five things you can start doing now that will make people feel like their work matters.
1. Close the feedback loop.
Employees give feedback constantly — in meetings, chat threads and even hallway conversations. And then… nothing. That silence is deafening, especially to people who spent time organizing their thoughts or building the courage to be honest.
This week, pick one recent piece of feedback (preferably something you’ve heard again and again) and act on it. Tell the feedback givers what you’ve heard, what you’ll do about it and what you won’t. Don’t sugarcoat. Don’t dodge. Just close the loop. People notice when their voices matter. If you’re wondering how to collect, prioritize and address feedback, check out this free guide.
2. Kill (or simplify) one painful process.
Every organization has a recurring meeting nobody wants, or an approval step that adds zero value.
Pick one, and simplify it or get rid of it altogether. You’ll save time and headaches, which will boost employee morale and change how people show up every day. It says, “We see the friction, and we’re willing to change it.” Even if the adjustments are small, your team will notice more than you think.
From the front lines: When I worked in a 40-person marketing department, we had a weekly “check-in” meeting where each team went over status updates. The problem? None of the updates were new to the people they impacted, and they didn’t concern anyone else. For years, we wasted an hour a week going around the room, saying some version of “Yep, all good” or “Working on it.”
3. Rewrite one confusing communication.
Ambiguity is a culture killer. Policies, emails, quick updates — if people don’t understand them, they fill in the gaps themselves. And trust me, the story they create is rarely flattering.
Find one message that routinely confuses people (or doesn’t accomplish what you want it to), and rewrite it in plain language. No jargon. No corporate clichés. Just usable information that actually helps people do their work. One small fix like this shows that you respect your team’s time and intelligence, which improves employee engagement.
4. Acknowledge one hard truth.
Employees don’t care when leaders make mistakes. Not one bit. But they do care when those mistakes are excused, covered up or painted as part of the grand plan. Pretending everything’s fine when it’s not will teach your team that nothing you say is real or trustworthy.
This week, call out one real challenge, like a stalled project, unrealistic workload or tension between teams. Explain what happened, why it’s a problem and how you’ll avoid it in the future. No excuses and no blame game allowed. And if you’re unsure how to show up to a tough conversation, here are some tips for finding common ground.
From the front lines: I used to be on a team that had — with all due respect — the worst project managers I’ve ever worked with. Ironically, they caused most of the issues in our process, which slowed us down like crazy. But the real problem? Leadership excused them every step of the way and even built processes around them so they didn’t have to pull their weight. You can probably guess how all the top performers felt about that double standard.
5. Give one piece of specific recognition.
People don’t remember generic “great job” comments. They do remember being recognized for real contributions that actually mattered.
Pick one person and acknowledge exactly what they did and why it mattered. Publicly, if possible, but one-to-one is fine, too. Specific recognition reinforces the behaviors you want to see and reminds people that their work is noticed — not just by you, but by the organization.
From the front lines: I’ve been a writer my entire career, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lumped in with others while receiving “recognition.” Even if I’d done 90% of the work on a project, I would hear “the writers” this and “the creative team” that. Sure, the thought is there, but “Carly knocked that script out of the park” would’ve made all the difference.
Culture doesn’t wait. Neither should you.
You don’t need perfection. You just need to start — like, now — and never stop. It might feel like a slow burn, but your new approach will improve company culture if you’re consistent.
Culture is a reflection of small decisions you make every day, and those are the things people notice. Take action now, and watch the trust, clarity and engagement in your organization start to shift.
