Read culture like an anthropologist
Diagnose a culture moment by distinguishing artifacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions.
The move: observe culture in layers before you try to change it. Start with artifacts Artifacts are the visible clues: rituals, language, office layout, recognition habits, meeting choreography, who speaks first, and what gets documented. They are useful because they are concrete, but they are also easy to over-interpret. Compare artifacts to espoused values The second layer is what the team says it values. Look for mission statements, operating principles, leadership talking points, and the phrases people repeat when explaining a decision. The key question is not whether the value sounds good; it is whether the visible behavior actually supports…
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