Build, measure, and evolve company culture as operational behavior, not wall posters. Use when building company values, assessing culture health, designing rituals, creating culture codes, or handling culture clashes.
Build, measure, and evolve company culture as operational behavior, not wall posters. Use when building company values, assessing culture health, designing rituals, creating culture codes, or handling culture clashes.
Culture is what you DO, not what you SAY. This skill builds culture as an operational system -- observable behaviors, measurable health, and rituals that scale from 5 people to 500.
Culture = (What you reward) + (What you tolerate) + (What you celebrate)
If your values say "transparency" but you punish bearers of bad news, your real value is "optics." Culture is not aspirational. It is descriptive. The work is closing the gap between stated and actual.
Clarify First
Before generating, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
Which deliverable is needed (values + behaviors, culture code, health survey, ritual calendar, culture-debt audit, or M&A integration) — each has its own template
Company stage and headcount — rituals and transmission mechanisms that work at 15 people break at 150; the ritual matrix is stage-keyed
What is actually rewarded, tolerated, and celebrated today — culture is descriptive, not aspirational; without the honest current state you produce wall-poster platitudes
Work model (in-person, remote, hybrid) — determines which operating principles and meeting rules apply
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.
Culture Diagnostic Decision Tree
START: "How is our culture?"
|
v
[Run the Values Audit]
Ask: "What did the last person who got promoted demonstrate?"
|
+-- Answer matches stated values --> Values are real. Check transmission.
| |
| v
| [Can a 30-day employee describe the culture accurately?]
| +-- YES --> Culture is operational. Maintain and evolve.
| +-- NO --> Transmission gap. Fix onboarding and rituals.
|
+-- Answer differs from stated values --> Values are performative.
|
v
[Do leaders model the real (non-stated) values?]
+-- YES --> Rewrite values to match reality, then iterate.
+-- NO --> Deeper problem: no coherent culture exists. Build from scratch.
Framework 1: Mission / Vision / Values Workshop
Mission (Why We Exist)
Element
Test
Example
Present-tense
Is it about what we do now, not what we aspire to?
"We reduce preventable falls in elderly care"
Specific
Could a competitor claim the exact same thing? If yes, too generic.
Not "We make the world better"
Meaningful
Would something be lost if we disappeared?
Answer must be concrete
Vision (What Winning Looks Like)
Quality
Bad
Good
Specificity
"Be the market leader"
"Every care home in Europe uses our system by 2030"
Falsifiability
"Transform healthcare"
"Reduce fall-related injuries by 50% in partner facilities"
Timeline
No date
5-10 year horizon with milestones
Values (What We Actually Do)
Rule
Explanation
3-5 values maximum
More than 5 and none are memorable
Derived from observation
"What did our best hire do that nobody asked?"
Each has behavioral anchors
Specific enough to judge against
Include the tension
Good values have a cost ("Speed" means "we accept some risk")
Framework 2: Values-to-Behaviors Translation
This is the work that makes values operational. Every value needs concrete behavioral anchors.
Value
Vague Version
Behavioral Anchor
How You'd Observe It
Transparency
"We're open and honest"
"We share bad news within 24 hours, including to our manager"
Bad news travels fast, no surprises
Ownership
"We take responsibility"
"We don't hand off problems -- we own until resolved, even across team boundaries"
No orphaned issues
Speed
"We move fast"
"Decisions under $5K happen at team level, same day"
Low decision latency
Quality
"We don't cut corners"
"We stop the line before shipping something we're not proud of"
Teams delay launches for quality
Customer-first
"Customers are our priority"
"Any team member can escalate a customer issue to leadership, bypassing normal channels"
Escalation is celebrated, not punished
Translation Workshop (90 minutes)
For each value:
Step 1: State the value in 2-3 words
Step 2: Ask "How would a new hire know we live this on day 30?"
Step 3: Write 3 observable behaviors that prove this value
Step 4: Write 3 behaviors that violate this value
Step 5: Ask "What does this value cost us? What's the trade-off?"
Step 6: If no trade-off exists, it's not a value -- it's a platitude
Output: Value card with behaviors, violations, and trade-offs
Framework 3: Culture Code Creation
A culture code is a public document that describes how you operate. It should attract the right people and repel the wrong ones.
Culture Code Structure
Section
Purpose
Key Question
1. Who We Are
Mission, context, stage
"Why does this company exist?"
2. Who Thrives Here
Specific behaviors, not adjectives
"What does success look like day-to-day?"
3. Who Doesn't Thrive Here
Honest misfit description
"When have we made a bad hire? What was the pattern?"
4. How We Make Decisions
Decision rights, speed expectations
"Who can decide what, and how fast?"
5. How We Communicate
Channels, cadence, expectations
"What can I expect in response time and transparency?"
6. How We Grow People
Career development, feedback
"What's my path here?"
7. What We Expect of Leaders
Leadership behaviors
"How should managers behave?"
Culture Code Anti-Patterns
Anti-Pattern
Why It Fails
Better Alternative
"We're a family"
Families don't fire for performance
"We're a high-performing team that cares about each other"
Only positive traits
Not credible, doesn't help people self-select
Include "who doesn't thrive here" section
Aspirational, not descriptive
Creates cynicism when reality differs
Describe what IS, then iterate
Too long (> 15 pages)
Nobody reads it
Keep to 5-8 pages, link to details
Never updated
Becomes irrelevant as company scales
Review annually, update at each stage
Framework 4: Culture Health Assessment
Run quarterly. Anonymous. 8-12 questions maximum.
Core Assessment Dimensions
Dimension
Question Example
What It Measures
Psychological safety
"I can raise a concern without fear of negative consequences"
Trust in the system
Clarity
"I know how my work connects to company goals"
Strategic alignment
Fairness
"Decisions here are made consistently and transparently"
Trust in leadership
Growth
"I am learning and being challenged here"
Development opportunity
Trust in leadership
"I believe what leadership tells me"
Communication credibility
Recognition
"Good work is noticed and acknowledged"
Reward system health
Belonging
"I feel like I belong on this team"
Inclusion effectiveness
Autonomy
"I have enough freedom to do my best work"
Micromanagement detection
Score Interpretation and Response
Score Range
Status
Action Required
Timeline
80-100%
Healthy
Document what works, celebrate, share practices
Maintain
65-79%
Warning
Identify specific friction points, address top 2-3
30 days
50-64%
Damaged
Leadership attention required, specific interventions
14 days
< 50%
Crisis
All-hands intervention, external facilitation may be needed
Immediate
eNPS Integration
eNPS Question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend
this company as a place to work?"
Promoters (9-10) - Detractors (0-6) = eNPS
-----------------------------------------
> 50 = Exceptional
30-50 = Good
10-30 = Acceptable
0-10 = Concerning
< 0 = Crisis
Framework 5: Cultural Rituals by Stage
Rituals are the delivery mechanism for culture. What works at 10 people breaks at 100.
Annual culture plan with KPIs, internal NPS, subculture management, culture integration for M&A
Culture becomes fragile without systems
Ritual Design Template
Element
Description
Name
Clear, memorable name for the ritual
Purpose
Which value does this reinforce?
Frequency
Weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual
Duration
Time commitment (shorter is better)
Participants
Who is involved, who leads
Format
In-person, remote, hybrid
Measurement
How do you know it's working?
Sunset criteria
When should this ritual be retired?
Framework 6: Culture Debt
Culture debt accumulates like technical debt: small compromises that compound.
Culture Debt Inventory
Debt Type
Example
Cost
Fix Difficulty
Tolerated bad behavior
Star performer who is toxic
Team morale, attrition
High (requires confrontation)
Stale values
Values from founding team, never updated
Cynicism, disengagement
Medium (requires workshop)
Missing rituals
No recognition system, no all-hands
Low cohesion, isolation
Low (design and implement)
Inconsistent enforcement
Some people held to standards, others not
Trust erosion, unfairness
High (requires consistency)
Osmosis-only transmission
No onboarding for culture, just happens
New hires don't get it
Medium (design onboarding)
Culture Debt Decision Tree
START: Culture debt identified
|
v
[Is it actively causing harm?]
|
+-- YES --> [Is the cost of fixing it < cost of keeping it?]
| |
| +-- YES --> Fix immediately. This week.
| +-- NO --> Fix within 30 days. Plan the transition.
|
+-- NO --> [Will it compound if ignored for 6 months?]
|
+-- YES --> Schedule fix within 90 days
+-- NO --> Document and monitor quarterly
Remote and Hybrid Culture
Remote Culture Operating Principles
Principle
Implementation
Default to async
Write first, meet only when needed
Intentional social
Regular non-work social time (weekly)
Over-communicate decisions
Document reasoning, share broadly
Equal access
Remote participants get equal voice in hybrid meetings
Visible work
Regular updates so work is seen without surveillance
Hybrid Meeting Rules
Rule
Rationale
If one person is remote, everyone joins individually
Prevents room-vs-screen dynamic
Camera-optional for working sessions
Reduces fatigue
Shared document for all meetings
Creates equal participation
Record meetings with decisions
Timezone inclusion
No hallway decisions on hybrid days
Excludes remote team members
Red Flags
Values posted on wall, never referenced in reviews or decisions
Star performers protected from cultural standards -- destroys credibility
Leaders who "don't have time" for culture rituals -- signals culture isn't a priority
New hires feel culture is "different than advertised" -- culture code is fiction
No mechanism to raise cultural concerns safely -- problems go underground
Culture survey results not shared with team -- breeds distrust
Same values for 5+ years despite major scaling -- values are stale
Founders exempt from cultural norms -- "do as I say, not as I do"
No consequences for value violations -- values are suggestions, not standards
Culture committee is all HR, no peers -- becomes compliance, not culture
Integration with C-Suite
When...
Culture Architect Works With...
To...
Hiring surge
CHRO (chro-advisor)
Ensure culture fit is measured, not guessed
Org restructure
COO + CEO
Manage culture disruption from structure change
M&A or partnership
CEO + COO
Detect and resolve culture clashes early
Performance issues
CHRO
Separate culture misfit from skill deficit
Strategy pivot
CEO (ceo-advisor)
Update values that the pivot makes obsolete
Rapid growth
All C-suite
Scale rituals before culture dilutes
Change rollout
Change Management (change-management)
Cultural dimension of change
Operating system design
Company OS (company-os)
Culture rituals in the meeting pulse
Founder evolution
Founder Coach (founder-coach)
Leadership style impact on culture
Proactive Triggers
eNPS declining 2+ quarters -- investigate root cause before it becomes attrition
Rapid hiring (> 30% headcount growth in a quarter) -- culture transmission at risk
M&A announced -- culture integration plan needed immediately
Star performer exhibiting toxic behavior -- address within 1 week or culture debt compounds
Values haven't been reviewed in 2+ years -- schedule values refresh workshop
Remote team growing without intentional culture design -- isolation and drift risk
Path to JSON file with survey responses (dimension scores per respondent, optional department/tenure metadata)
--json
optional
Output in JSON format instead of human-readable text
2. values_alignment_scorer.py
Scores alignment between stated values and observed behaviors using the Competing Values Framework quadrants (Clan, Adhocracy, Market, Hierarchy). Detects gaps between current and desired culture, identifies value-washing risks, and recommends alignment actions.
Path to JSON file with stated values, behavioral evidence scores, and optional CVF quadrant assessments
--json
optional
Output in JSON format instead of human-readable text
3. engagement_tracker.py
Tracks employee engagement metrics over time including eNPS, survey scores, participation rates, and retention correlation. Detects trends, flags declining dimensions, and generates quarterly engagement reports.
Underlying issue not addressed after previous survey
Analyze by dimension to isolate the declining area; share results transparently; commit to specific actions with deadlines
Star performer protected from cultural standards
Leadership avoidance or fear of losing output
Address within 1 week; culture debt compounds daily; document impact on team morale and attrition
New hires say culture is "different than advertised"
Culture code describes aspiration, not reality
Rewrite culture code to describe what IS; include "who doesn't thrive here" section honestly
eNPS declining but leadership claims culture is strong
Leadership disconnected from frontline experience; survey results not shared
Share survey results with full team; conduct skip-level conversations; address top 2 detractor themes
Remote team members feel excluded from culture
Rituals designed for in-person only; hallway decisions on hybrid days
Apply Remote Culture Operating Principles; redesign rituals for hybrid; enforce "if one remote, all remote" meeting rule
Culture committee produces no measurable impact
Committee is all HR, no peers; no decision authority or budget
Reconstitute with peer representatives; grant budget and decision authority; set quarterly culture OKRs
Success Criteria
Culture health score above 70% across all 8 assessment dimensions
eNPS above 30 (Good) sustained across 4 consecutive quarters
Values-to-behaviors translation completed for all stated values with observable anchors
30-day employees can accurately describe the culture without prompting
Culture debt inventory reviewed quarterly with no "Critical" items unaddressed for more than 30 days
Survey participation rate above 80% indicating trust in the feedback process
Zero cultural standard exceptions for high performers (no "brilliant jerk" tolerance)
Scope & Limitations
In scope: Mission/vision/values workshop facilitation, values-to-behaviors translation, culture code creation, culture health assessment (8-dimension survey, eNPS), cultural rituals design by company stage, culture debt identification and management, remote/hybrid culture operating principles, M&A culture integration planning, and Competing Values Framework assessment.
Out of scope: HR policy creation (use hr-operations/), compensation and benefits design (use chro-advisor), DEI program management, employee relations and conflict resolution, performance management system design, and organizational restructuring (use coo-advisor). Tools analyze survey and engagement data; continuous culture monitoring requires integration with HR platforms.
Limitations: Culture assessment depends on honest survey responses; low participation rates (<50%) or fear of retaliation invalidate results. The Competing Values Framework provides a useful map but oversimplifies the complexity of real organizational culture. Culture change is slow (12-24 months for meaningful shifts); tools measure progress but cannot accelerate the human change process. M&A culture integration assessments are predictive, not deterministic.
Integration Points
chro-advisor -- Hiring for culture fit, performance reviews tied to values, attrition analysis linked to culture health
ceo-advisor -- Culture strategy aligns with company vision; values refresh tied to strategic pivots
coo-advisor -- Culture rituals embedded in operating rhythm; org restructures assessed for culture impact
change-management -- Cultural dimension of any major change initiative; resistance patterns mapped to culture type
founder-coach -- Leadership style impact on culture; founder behavior modeling assessed against stated values
company-os -- Culture rituals integrated into the organizational operating system meeting cadence
