The unwritten rules: How workplace culture really takes shape

Discover how workplace culture forms through everyday behaviours, unwritten rules and team norms, and how these shape the way people work together.

In our previous article, What does workplace culture really mean?, we looked at how culture shows up in the everyday behaviours, decisions and habits within an organisation.

But where do those behaviours and unwritten rules come from in the first place? How do they become accepted as simply “the way we do things here”?

Human beings naturally look for cues about how to belong, succeed and stay safe within a group. When people join a new workplace, they quickly observe what happens around them. They notice how colleagues interact, how leaders respond under pressure, which behaviours are recognised and which are discouraged.

If a new employee sees people asking for help and being supported, they learn that seeking support is acceptable. If they see people raising concerns and being listened to respectfully, they learn that speaking up is valued. If they see people sharing knowledge and helping one another, they learn that collaboration is expected.

Over time, these observations become unwritten rules about “how things are done around here”.

Those unwritten rules form culture.

Why can two teams in the same organisation feel completely different?

Consider two offices. Both may operate under the same legislation, policies, frameworks, codes of conduct and organisational values. Both may be working towards the same outcomes.

Yet the experience of working in each office can feel very different.

In one office, people openly seek advice, support one another during challenging matters, share knowledge, discuss decisions respectfully and ask for help. In another, people may work more independently, hesitate to ask for help or avoid difficult conversations.

The responsibilities may be the same. The policies may be the same. Even the people doing the work may have similar skills and experience. Yet the local culture can be very different.

This is because most organisations do not have a single culture. They have an overarching organisational culture as well as local subcultures. Different teams, offices and workgroups can develop their own ways of working. There may also be distinct safety cultures, quality cultures or professional cultures operating within the same organisation.

Understanding these differences matters because culture is experienced locally. An organisation may have strong values and clear expectations at an organisational level, but what people experience every day is heavily influenced by the behaviours around them.

Culture is shaped by everyone

Leaders play an important role because people pay close attention to how leaders respond, particularly during difficult moments.

When leaders encourage reflection, listen respectfully, support learning and create psychological safety, people are more likely to speak up, ask questions and seek support when they need it.

However, culture is not created by leaders alone. Every member of an organisation contributes to it.

Culture is influenced every time someone:

• offers support to a colleague who is struggling
• includes others in discussions and decision making
• shares knowledge and experience
• raises concerns respectfully
• demonstrates care, professionalism and respect
• helps create an environment where people feel valued.

In many ways, culture is the collective result of thousands of small interactions that occur every day.

How unwritten rules become workplace culture

People constantly observe which behaviours are encouraged, rewarded, tolerated or challenged.

Those observations become expectations. Expectations become habits. Habits become culture.

At its simplest, local workplace culture is influenced by three things:

1. What people say
2. What people do
3. What gets rewarded, tolerated or challenged

These three things also give us a practical way to understand how culture changes.

Culture changes when people consistently experience different behaviours. Leaders model the behaviours they expect. Peers support one another. Teams have honest conversations. People feel safe to ask questions, contribute ideas, raise concerns and learn from mistakes.

With consistency, different behaviours become expected. What once felt new becomes normal.

This is particularly important during periods of organisational change. Structures, systems, processes and priorities may evolve, but the culture people create together will continue to influence how they experience work and how effectively the organisation achieves its goals.

Ultimately, culture does not belong to a leadership team or a single office.
Every interaction contributes to the environment other people experience.
Every conversation shapes culture.
Every person influences it.