Most organizations can describe their company culture, but fewer can prove it. Culture isn’t what’s written on a careers page or stated in a company all-hands, but what gets rewarded, ignored, corrected—or tolerated.
Culture Lives in the Gray Areas
The biggest threat to a healthy culture is inconsistency. When some behaviors are addressed and others are allowed to slide—especially when those behaviors come from high performers—employees take note.
Let’s say your company claims to promote collaboration, but tolerates leaders who hoard information or undermine others to compete for visibility. That contradiction speaks louder than any core value statement.
Why Tolerance Sets the Tone
Managers play a central role in reinforcing—or weakening—culture. When inappropriate behavior goes unchecked, it creates a new standard. Employees watch who gets away with what, and they adjust accordingly. This is how silent norms are created: not through policy, but through passivity.
This applies equally to underperformance, disrespectful conduct, or quietly violating norms like responsiveness or accountability. The issue isn’t just that a value was broken—it’s that leadership was silent when it mattered.
The Cost of Inconsistency
When culture is applied unevenly, three things happen:
- Engagement drops. People feel less connected when they see double standards.
- Turnover rises. Top performers leave when values feel performative.
- Reputation suffers. Word spreads fast—internally and externally—when behavior doesn’t match branding.
Enforcing Culture With Intent
So how do you fix it? Start by naming what’s non-negotiable, then back it up with consistent action:
- Coach managers to speak up when values are violated—even in subtle ways.
- Hold all employees, including top talent, accountable to the same standards.
- Build culture into performance conversations and decision-making, not just onboarding slides.
- Treat feedback seriously when employees point out inconsistencies.
Company culture is built in small moments and reinforced through patterns. If you tolerate behavior that contradicts your values, that contradiction becomes your culture—no matter what your mission statement says. Want a strong culture? Don’t just define it; defend it every day.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.