Stop Trying to Fix Your Culture—Start Cultivating It

It’s tempting to treat company culture like something that just needs a quick fix.

Low morale? Host a team-building event.
Losing people? Launch a retention initiative.
Bad Glassdoor reviews? Rewrite the values.

But culture doesn’t work that way.

Because culture isn’t broken.
It’s growing—whether you’re nurturing it or not.

Culture is a living system, not a broken one

The language of “fixing” culture is rooted in a mechanical mindset. It treats culture like a faulty machine: if we can just find the broken part and replace it, everything will run smoothly again.

Culture is more like a garden (or a grove) than a machine. It’s made up of habits, values, symbols, rituals, unspoken rules, and patterns of behavior. You can’t flip a switch and expect instant change. You have to tend to it—over time.

The reality is, culture is always evolving
The question is: Are you cultivating it with intention?

Most culture problems aren’t sudden—they’re slow

When leaders call me in to address culture issues, they often say things like:

• “We’ve been growing fast and I'm swamped with people issues.”

• “Something’s off—we’re not aligned, and people are starting to leave or aren't meeting deadlines.”

• “Our values are solid, but they’re not showing up in day-to-day behavior.”

These aren’t broken pieces. These are neglected patterns.

You can’t workshop your way out of a culture that’s been misaligned for years.
But you can cultivate a new one—if you start now.

What does it mean to cultivate culture?

Cultivation is about creating the right conditions for a thriving culture to grow.

At Culture Grove, we help organizations do this through:

• Culture assessments that identify what’s really growing beneath the surface

• Leadership alignment sessions to envision and reinforce the ideal culture

• Daily practice design to embed new norms into meetings, feedback, rituals, and recognition

• Feedback and Ongoing support to help cultures thrive through change, growth, and reinforcement

We don’t just talk about values—we activate them.

Real-World Contrast: Culture Quiz vs. Culture Embodied

I once spoke with a company that conducts quarterly "culture quizzes"—short multiple-choice surveys sent to employees to test their memorization of the company’s stated values. While well-intentioned, these quizzes are more like a compliance task than a cultural touchpoint. There was no real follow-up, reflection, or behavior change tied to them.

Now contrast that with companies like Baker Hughes, where strategic values are integrated into everything—from the way they cast a wide net in recruitment to ensure diverse perspectives, to how they structure project teams around collaboration and continuous learning.

Or consider Kendra Scott, where every retail store has a “green room” where employees can unwind, connect, and recharge before stepping into customer-facing roles. It’s not just a perk—it’s a ritual that communicates care and sets the tone for how employees show up.

Those are the kinds of cultivated cultures that don’t just say they care about people.
They build systems that show it—every single day.

Why this approach works

Because it’s based in anthropology, not management fads.

Anthropologists study what people actually do—not just what they say. That’s the lens I bring to every engagement. It’s how I help clients move from vague goals like “better engagement” to specific cultural shifts that support performance, retention, and belonging.

We don’t just fix problems.
We cultivate cultures where those problems can’t take root and grow wild.

🚀 Ready to grow?

If your culture feels off—or like it's drifting—it's not too late.
But it is time to stop trying to fix it with surface level changes and start cultivating something better.

Contact us today and let's discuss a plan to work together.