What does workplace culture really mean?

Discover what workplace culture really means, why it matters, and how leaders can actively shape it to improve safety, performance, and retention.

Culture is one of the most overused and misunderstood words in business. Before talking about culture change, we need to be clear on what it actually is. At its core, culture is “the way we do things around here.” More precisely, it’s the shared behaviours, values, expectations, and visible habits of two or more people working together. It influences how decisions are made, how teams solve problems, and how people are treated – even when no one is watching.

For example, in a footy club where the culture genuinely values inclusion, you might see women actively encouraged to join leadership roles, players calling out sexist banter, and team bonding activities that are inclusive for all members. Those visible behaviours – not just the values on a the annual report – are what make up the real culture.

Workplace culture is how these behaviours show up in your organisation. It’s not fixed. It evolves every day based on what leaders prioritise, ignore, or reward. You can’t switch culture on or off. But you can shape it.

When someone says, “Our culture needs to change,” what they really mean is, “We need a culture that better supports our goals.”

Why reshape your workplace culture?

Organisations usually seek to reshape culture for two reasons:

• The current culture is working against them – maybe people aren’t speaking up about safety, poor behaviour is going unchecked, standards are slipping or there have been injuries and it is having an impact on your morale.
• The organisation is growing, shifting focus, or raising its standards, and the existing culture isn’t keeping up.

In both cases, culture becomes the key to unlocking performance – it either supports your strategy or undermines it.

This famous photo shows construction workers having lunch on a steel beam 850 feet above New York City, without any safety harnesses. At the time, such risk-taking was normalised as part of the job. Safety wasn’t prioritised, and speaking up wasn’t encouraged. This image captures how cultural norms can shape what’s considered acceptable.

Until the 1980s, it was common to smoke at your desk – in meetings, on factory floors, and during work tasks. The risks of secondhand smoke weren’t acknowledged, and smoking was a cultural norm. Today, it would be a clear violation of workplace health and safety regulations.

These examples show how culture shapes what people see as normal. That’s why shifting culture is about changing what’s accepted, rewarded, or ignored, every day.

What happens when culture goes wrong?

Think of a team where issues are brushed aside, feedback is avoided, and sarcasm or exclusion go unchecked. Over time, trust fades, communication breaks down, and psychological safety disappears. People stop taking initiative or raising concerns – even about safety.

What strong workplace culture looks like

In high-performing organisations, leadership culture, safety culture, and quality culture all align. People feel respected and empowered. They raise concerns early. They collaborate, solve problems, and take pride in what they deliver.

And the culture is consistent. You can’t have strong leadership development and poor safety practices. One weak area undermines the others.

Culture is built, not wished for

You can’t simply declare a new culture. You have to build it — with intention, structure, and follow-through.

At LDN, we guide organisations through a practical six-step process to shape a culture that works:

• Identify where you are now — your values, behaviours, performance, strategy.
• Define where you want to be.
• Describe the leadership behaviours needed to get there.
• Engage your people in building those behaviours across the business.
• Measure cultural change using real data.