Positive Company Culture: 7 Threats to Pay Attention To Now

A Positive Company Culture is Worth It
Shaping and sustaining a positive company culture demands ongoing clarity, effort, and perseverance — but carefully assessing your workplace culture and acting on the insights it provides delivers measurable value for both your people and your business.

• According to a Harvard Business School report, an effective workplace culture can account for up to half of the differential in performance between organizations in the same business.
• Our own organizational alignment research shows that cultural factors account for 40% of the difference between high and low performing companies in terms of revenue growth, profitability, customer retention, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.

High-performing organizations and leaders recognize that a positive corporate culture is a strategic advantage — one that attracts top talent and fuels superior performance against the competition.

If You’ve Got It, Keep It
Imagine you’ve worked diligently to shape a culture you can genuinely be proud of — where both the explicit and unspoken values guiding behaviors and business practices are aligned across the organization and fully support your strategic direction.

Yet corporate culture assessment results tell us that even the strongest cultures evolve over time. Your ongoing challenge is to ensure that this positive culture remains in step with your strategy, while keeping your talent accountable to the high standards of behavior that define your organization. When culture and strategy move in harmony, you create the foundation to consistently perform at your peak.

7 Threats to a Positive Company Culture
Here are seven of the most common threats to a positive company culture — the pollutants that can undermine what you worked so hard to build:

1. Gossip
   Never allow secrets about colleagues to circulate behind their backs. When disagreements arise or important issues need attention, address them openly, honestly, and respectfully. Failing to do so erodes the trust that underpins collaboration, innovation, and decisive action — critical elements for organizational success.

   Take deliberate steps to foster candid conversations so that concerns and emotions don’t fester. Actively address and eliminate back-channeling whenever you encounter it, reinforcing a culture of transparency and accountability.

2. Low or Unclear Performance Standards
   Never tolerate substandard behavior — from anyone, including yourself. The moment your team notices that mediocrity or inappropriate conduct is overlooked, high performance expectations lose their authority, and morale begins to erode.

   Set clear, fair, and meaningful standards for success and accountability, and enforce them consistently. Doing so safeguards the core values and strengths of your positive company culture.

3. Emails as Preferred Communication
   Technology can save time, and emails are useful for tracking conversations and staying connected — but they should never replace face-to-face interaction. So much nuance is lost in written communication — body language, tone, and empathy cannot be conveyed — and once sent, emails are permanent and difficult to retract.

   Prioritize building strong interpersonal relationships and meaningful one-on-one connections across the organization. These interactions are the foundation of trust, collaboration, and engagement.

4. Empty or Disproportionate Praise
   Everyone values recognition for a job well done — but praise that is vague or undeserved carries little weight and can even diminish a team’s motivation. Give credit where it is truly earned, with enough specificity to demonstrate that you noticed the effort and impact. Ensure that recognition and rewards are proportionate and aligned with what matters most to your organization.
5. Ineffective or Infrequent Feedback
   Employees rely on leaders for feedback that helps them enhance performance and achieve their career goals. Feedback that is negative, unclear, or inconsistent can be counterproductive. Always focus on the true purpose of constructive feedback: driving improvement and fostering continuous learning.

   Ensure everyone understands where they stand and what it takes to reach their next level of growth and success.

6. Pointing the Finger
   You may know who is responsible for the latest mistake, but pointing fingers rarely adds value. In most cases, it’s far more effective to treat errors as opportunities for learning and continuous improvement, working with your team to prevent recurrence. When you take responsibility as a leader and show that you have your team’s back, you build trust and confidence.

   Ask yourself: do people at your company feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them?

7. Explicit or Implied Threats
   It should go without saying that leading through fear and intimidation is culturally toxic — but some insecure or stressed leaders still resort to these tactics. While threats may yield short-term results, the long-term damage to organizational health, employee engagement, and alignment can be devastating.

   Act decisively to identify and remove bullying behavior early and consistently, safeguarding your company’s culture and overall well-being.

The Bottom Line
Company culture matters — more than most leaders realize. Once you’ve built a healthy, aligned workplace culture, remain vigilant and ensure you’re not contributing to the common pitfalls that can quickly undermine it.

To understand the three components required to build a positive company culture to outperform your peers, download The 3 Must-Have Levels of a High Performance Culture – Backed by Research