The Culture Linchpins
A recent Gallup report finds that managers are feeling more connected to their organizations’ cultures, reversing a troubling downward trend. This is a promising shift because if managers aren’t engaged with workplace culture, it simply doesn’t exist in any meaningful way.
At first glance, this might seem like a straightforward fix: Tell managers that culture matters, expect them to carry the torch, and call it a day. But any organization that has tried this approach knows it doesn’t work. Culture transformation isn’t about cascading messages—it’s about creating an environment where managers have the autonomy, agency, and tools to live authentically. That takes effort, and most organizations aren’t willing to put in the effort.
We see this firsthand in our work every day. Too often, companies approach culture as an HR-driven initiative, with managers treated as passive recipients rather than active participants. They are given talking points, slide decks, and directives to “role model” behaviors—without being asked what culture means in their own day-to-day work. The result? A thin layer of corporate messaging that rarely makes it past the first team meeting.
The organizations that get it right recognize that managers are not just conduits for culture; they are its architects. When companies invest in engaging managers—not just through communication, but through real decision-making power—they see cultural values embedded in everyday work, not just in purpose statements. That means inviting managers into the design process, trusting them to adapt cultural principles in ways that fit their teams, and holding space for honest dialogue about what’s working (and what’s not).
When managers believe in the culture—because they’ve had a hand in shaping it—it becomes real. Not because they were told to care, but because they do.
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Why Gen Z and Young Millennials Are Taking More Sick Days
Younger workers in the U.S. are taking more sick days, primarily due to mental health issues such as burnout, anxiety, and depression.
Federal Workers Ponder an Existential Question: Do I Pack Up and Quit?
“Two million employees are trying to make sense of a Trump administration plan offering eight months’ pay to staffers who resign”
The Insidious Charms of the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic
We feel seen.
LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault came up with a new way to describe layoffs: being ‘promoted outwards’
Okay, which workplace culture consultant is advising Bernard???
FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture
“An Associated Press investigation found the FBI has received nearly 300 allegations of sexual misconduct since the bureau announced in 2021 it had launched an agency-wide crackdown.”
Colossal squid: The eerie ambassador from the abyss
“The world's largest invertebrate remained hidden from humanity until a tantalising glimpse 100 years ago.”
Drones and ‘Game Film’: Inside Chick-fil-A’s Quest to Make Fast Food Faster
“In years past, some Chick-fil-A operators would climb onto restaurant roofs to study traffic flows. These days, the chain sends out traffic-analysis teams that use drones to capture aerial footage, which team members splice with video from kitchens and drive-through windows to create roughly hourlong videos for store owners.”
Culture Edit Podcast
No pod this week due to Nikki being under the weather, but check out this previous episode that is right on target with this week’s topic.
Ep. 022 – Guest Ryan Marshall, CEO PulteGroup
Ryan visits the NICH Studio and we cover all the hard-hitting topics: his athletic achievements, the hardest event he’s ever tackled, the culinary arts, and his French bulldog Smokey. We also get his thoughts on why Pulte has a world-renowned workplace culture, being a visible leader, the power of meaningful work, organizational purpose, and his career advice for young people.