"What do you do?" is one of the most common questions we ask each other. But what if we started asking something different?

Most organisations treat culture as a static concept—a set of values written on the walls, leadership statements, and employee handbooks. But culture isn’t what’s written—it’s what’s lived. It’s not a set of policies; it’s the everyday experiences and interactions that shape how people feel about their work.

In a recent conversation with Tech Chief Nick, exploring YourBigPic’s approach to change, he challenged the way we think about businesses altogether- and so into Cultural space. He framed them not as legal entities or structures but as living relationships—where engagement, trust, and shared purpose define success.

This aligns directly with what we explore in Cracking Culture—helping businesses move beyond transactional engagement to create a culture where people feel valued, connected, and invested.

Nick raised a thought-provoking question: What if we stopped seeing jobs as tasks to complete and instead saw businesses as relationships we engage with?

• Instead of asking, "What is your role?" → Ask "What is your relationship with the business?"
• Instead of "We pay employees to do a job," → Ask "How do we create a reciprocal relationship?"
• Instead of "Culture is our stated values," → Ask "How does our culture shape daily experiences?"

When people feel part of something bigger than themselves, engagement shifts from compliance to commitment.

But here’s the challenge: most businesses don’t intentionally build this type of culture. They focus on policies, incentives, and structures—assuming culture will follow. In reality, culture emerges from the quality of relationships inside the organisation.

Many organisations believe they have a strong culture—but are they paying attention to the unwritten rules that actually define it?

In our Cracking Culture service, we help teams surface the hidden dynamics that shape behaviour, including:

• What people feel but don’t say—the subtle cues that define who gets heard, who gets included, and what’s seen as acceptable;
• How leadership is experienced in practice—not just what’s written in the handbook, but how decisions are made and how people feel about them; and
• What really motivates engagement—beyond job descriptions, what makes people genuinely excited to contribute?

Most organisations don’t have a culture problem—they have a relationship problem. Employees don’t just want perks, pay, and performance reviews; they want to feel like they belong, contribute, and grow.

When a business invests in its culture as a relationship, the impact is significant:

• People stop “complying” and start committing;
• Engagement is driven by shared purpose, not just incentives; and
• Culture becomes an experience, not just a statement.

Nick compared a strong business culture to a trusted uncle—someone who provides guidance, discipline, and support in a way that makes people feel valued and empowered. Leaders who understand this build cultures where people don’t just work—they belong.

Culture isn’t something you fix—it’s something you understand, shape, and nurture as a Wicked Challenge. At YourBigPic, our Cracking Culture service helps organisations:

• Uncover hidden blockers to real engagement;
• Move beyond transactional culture to build a workplace that fosters trust; and
• Create a framework where people connect, contribute, and thrive.

Culture isn’t about statements and slogans. It’s about real, human experiences—the ones that make or break engagement.

Let’s crack culture together. 🔥

📩 Want to explore more? Learn about Cracking Culture by clicking through the Stories above.

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