Take a walk through almost any Australian workplace and you’ll see framed posters declaring “Integrity,” “Teamwork,” and “Respect.” But ask employees if those values are alive in practice — and the answer is often a cynical laugh.
That’s because real culture isn’t what’s written on the wall. It’s what gets tolerated when no one’s watching.
Culture Is Built in the Grey Areas
Every organisation has policies and mission statements. But culture lives in the grey — in how leaders respond to misconduct, who gets promoted, what jokes are let slide, and how feedback is handled.
You can write “respect” into your code of conduct, but if you let high performers bully others without consequence, that becomes your culture.
What You Tolerate, You Encourage
This is the cultural paradox: by not acting, you reinforce the very behaviour you claim to oppose.
Examples:
- Letting a manager repeatedly undermine others in meetings = accepted hierarchy abuse
- Ignoring late-night Slack messages = an unspoken rule that boundaries don’t matter
- Dismissing feedback on workload = telling employees their wellbeing isn’t valued
Over time, these moments shape a culture that feels very different to the one leaders believe they’ve built.
In Australia, Culture Is Especially Subtle
Australian workplace culture is often shaped by:
- Tall poppy syndrome: Where ambition or standing out can be punished
- Larrikin humour: Which can quickly become exclusionary or offensive
- A laid-back attitude: That sometimes covers for poor accountability
These cultural traits can either build a strong team or breed mediocrity — depending on what’s reinforced.
Culture Is a Leadership Responsibility — Not an HR Initiative
Many organisations assume culture is HR’s job to manage. But culture is driven by leadership behaviours, not HR posters or wellness campaigns.
People take their cues from:
- Who gets recognised
- Who is protected
- Who gets sidelined
- Who stays after misconduct
If leaders are unaware, absent, or complicit, culture becomes accidental — and often toxic.
What to Watch for in a Drifting Culture
Here are red flags that your workplace culture isn’t aligned to your values:
- High performers are “untouchable” no matter how they treat others
- Complaints are minimised, buried, or discouraged
- Feedback is one-way (top-down only)
- Exit interviews cite “poor leadership” or “feeling invisible”
- Engagement surveys have great slogans but no follow-through
Culture Change Isn’t a Campaign — It’s a Series of Hard Conversations
Too often, businesses roll out culture change as a branding exercise. New posters. Catchy acronyms. Leadership videos.
But none of it matters without real accountability and behavioural consistency.
True culture change requires:
- Auditing who is protected and why
- Challenging sacred cows (the “brilliant jerks”)
- Equipping leaders to have uncomfortable conversations
- Celebrating values in action, not just in comms
Need a Reality Check on Your Culture?
Independent HR providers can conduct culture diagnostics that go deeper than staff surveys. One such firm, Hack Your HR, works with Australian businesses to:
- Identify the gap between stated values and lived behaviours
- Conduct confidential staff interviews and cultural assessments
- Build leader capability to address legacy behaviours
- Design culture roadmaps tied to business performance
(As a third-party provider, they’re often able to uncover truths internal HR may miss.)
Final Word: Culture Is a Mirror, Not a Poster
If you want to know what your culture really is — watch what happens when things go wrong.
- How are issues handled?
- Who gets protected?
- What gets brushed under the rug?
- Who leaves quietly and why?
The answers will tell you more than any staff handbook ever could.
As Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” So make sure the culture you’re tolerating is one that can support the future you’re building.