It is incredibly easy to be cynical when businesses talk about culture. It is more likely than not to mean another anodyne PowerPoint full of empty buzzwords quickly forgotten. Ask most businesses what they actually mean by culture and they would probably struggle to come up with a convincing answer.

The problem is we cannot just treat culture as another element of corporate BS to readily ignore. It really matters.

So what is culture? In simple terms, I see culture as the expected, encouraged and incentivised behaviours within an organisation. Individual decision making doesn’t occur in a vacuum, it is inescapably framed by the environment in which we operate.

Understanding what culture is and how to create the right culture is absolutely critical for any organisation or team. If you want to promote good behaviour and decision making, thinking about culture is essential. It’s just not that easy.

In this episode of Decision Nerds, Paul Richards and I tackle culture and decision-making with WCM Investment Management. They have some fascinating insights as the assessment of culture forms a key part of their company analysis. They have also thought exhaustively about how to structure their own culture to make better choices.

In this session, we cover a range of fascinating topics, including:

The need for alignment between culture and strategy

Is scale the enemy of culture?

Should culture evolve through different business/operating environments?

Where and how can culture go sour?

What does management often get wrong when talking about culture?

Companies – how often do stated cultural ambitions align with compensation structures?

What’s the most practical way to take the cultural temperature of a company?

You can listen on your favourite apps, or here.