The Seven Conditions of Execution: Culture

This is the seventh and final article in my series on the Seven Conditions of Execution: Context, Clarity, Capacity, Cadence, Consequences, Courage and Culture.

There are many definitions of culture, but one of the most useful is this: culture is what people do when they think no one is watching.

It is the collective pattern of behaviour within an organisation. It shows up in how people act day to day, how decisions are made, what is encouraged, what is discouraged, who gets promoted and why, and, perhaps most importantly, what gets tolerated and what does not.

Culture is not defined by statements or slogans. It is defined by behaviour.

Values must become behaviours

For culture to be meaningful, a clear set of behavioural expectations must exist. People need to understand not just what the organisation says it values, but what that looks like in practice. In many organisations, the values on the wall carry very little weight. They are well-intentioned, but vague, disconnected from day-to-day activity, and rarely used as a basis for decisions or accountability.

Some organisations approach this differently. Netflix is a strong example of translating values into behaviour. One of its values is courage, but rather than leaving it as an abstract idea, it defines what courage looks like in practice: saying what you think, even when it is controversial; making tough decisions without excessive agonising; taking smart risks; questioning actions that are inconsistent with the values. These are clear, observable behaviours. They remove ambiguity and make meaningful conversations about performance possible.

The same principle applies in other high-performing environments. In the Royal Marines, the commando qualities are courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness in the face of adversity. These are not optional ideals; they are standards. When a Marine is assessed for promotion, these qualities are observed in practice. Someone may be technically excellent, but if they are selfish or fail to demonstrate the expected behaviours under pressure, they will not pass. The standard is clear, and it is enforced.

That is the difference. High-performing organisations define what good looks like in behavioural terms, and then expect people to behave that way.

Above and below the line

Creating culture is not complicated, but it does require intent. A group of people come together and define what “above the line” behaviour looks like. What do we expect of people here? Taking responsibility, being accountable, having a bias for action, giving and seeking feedback, making decisions. These become the standards.

Alongside this, “below the line” behaviours are identified: avoiding responsibility, protecting self-interest over team or organisational outcomes, deferring decisions, withholding feedback. These are the behaviours that are not acceptable.

But defining them is only the start.

What is tolerated becomes the culture

Culture is ultimately shaped by what is tolerated and what is reinforced. It is determined by how people are rewarded, how they are promoted, and how they are managed when they fall short. If poor behaviour is tolerated, it becomes normal. If political skill is rewarded over performance, people adjust accordingly. If leaders behave in ways that contradict stated values, those values lose all meaning.

This is where many organisations struggle. They talk about standards but do not enforce them consistently. They say one thing and tolerate another. Over time, informal norms begin to contradict formal expectations, and culture drifts.

Culture and talent

There is also a direct link between culture and talent. If you are unclear about the behaviours you expect, it becomes very difficult to define what an A player looks like. If you cannot define it, you cannot hire for it, develop it or promote it. Performance management becomes subjective and hiring becomes inconsistent.

Clarity of behaviour underpins everything, and execution depends on it. You cannot deliver demanding goals with underperforming people. You cannot build a high-performing team on a foundation of mediocrity.

High-performance cultures require clarity, consistency and enforcement of standards. They require leaders who build strong relationships based on trust and who model the behaviours they expect. And they require organisations that are willing to reward, promote and, when necessary, remove people based on whether they live those behaviours.

What culture is

Culture is the aggregate pattern of behaviours that are:

• Modelled by senior leaders.
• Informally rewarded.
• Socially reinforced.
• Tolerated without challenge.
• Promoted and replicated over time.

Culture determines what becomes “how we do things around here”.

Culture fails when:

• Mediocrity is tolerated.
• Political skill outperforms performance when it comes to promotion.
• Behavioural standards erode without correction.
• Leaders behave inconsistently with declared values.
• Informal norms contradict formal expectations.

Culture, in the end, is not what is said. It is what is done, what is repeated, and what is allowed to continue. That is what determines whether an organisation performs.

How strong is this condition in your organisation?

Take the 60-second Execution Check to see which of the Seven Conditions may be limiting your organisation, and what to do about it.

Or book a call with Roderic.