Culture: Your Greatest Asset or Greatest Liability?

We know culture matters. PwC’s 2021 Global Culture Survey revealed that:

• 67% of respondents believe culture is more critical to success than strategy or operating model.

• 81% see culture as a competitive advantage.

We also know that culture can be changed. The same survey found:

• 80% of team members are disappointed with their organisation’s culture.
• 76% of leaders believe culture is changeable.
• 65% of leaders feel they need to change their culture.

Yet only 15% of organisations report success with culture transformation programs.

So, if we agree that culture is both critical and changeable, the question is: Is your culture your greatest asset or your greatest liability?

Didier Elzinga, founder and CEO of Culture Amp, puts it this way: “Brand is a promise to a customer; culture is how you deliver that promise.” Culture isn’t just a “nice to have”; it’s the means to success.

This principle isn’t new. Back in the 1920s, JW Marriott’s Washington DC root beer stand operated under the motto: “Take care of your people, and they will take care of your customers.” Long before Richard Branson made this famous, Marriott’s insight reinforced the idea that culture is the foundation for results.

• Is your culture working for you or against you? How do you know?
• Do you know how to change the culture in your team? Where would you start?
• What would it look like if your culture were your greatest asset?

Try This Experiment

Use music to shift the vibe in your team:

1. Create a team playlist and play it when you gather in person or online.
2. Celebrate success with a victory dance. Play an upbeat song, get everyone moving for two minutes, and celebrate together.

It’s a quick and fun way to energise your team, foster connection, and inject positivity into your culture.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear how your experiments with music help shift the vibe in your team. Share your stories and let’s keep the conversation going.