Build a Stronger Culture: 10 Must-Reads for 2024

Whether or not culture eats strategy for breakfast, as Peter Drucker is credited with saying, it remains a pressing topic for MIT SMR’s readers. A few years into hybrid work arrangements, leaders are still facing cultural concerns head-on, which is why we’ve gathered 10 resources covering psychological safety, workplace toxicity, and proven approaches to culture change — including ways to win over skeptics. We’ve also dug into issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and approaches to building a culture of honesty and trust.

The following are 10 of our most popular articles of 2023 on building a stronger workplace culture. We hope they will continue to help readers lead thriving organizations in which every employee can flourish.

#1
The Toxic Culture Gap Shows Companies Are Failing Women

Donald Sull and Charles Sull

Which elements of corporate culture are most critical to women? And which cultural shortcomings are causing women to head for the exits? In analyzing the language that 3 million U.S. employees used in Glassdoor reviews to describe their employer, the authors found that toxic culture disproportionately affects women, with the widest gender gaps in perceptions of inclusivity and disrespect.

#2
Take a Skills-Based Approach to Culture Change

Per Hugander

Taking a skills-based approach rather than implementing typical culture-change initiatives can lead to positive changes in behavior that endure, particularly when it comes to cultivating soft skills, like perspective taking, and creating psychological safety. The author explains key attributes of the skills-based approach to culture change and how organizations can leverage it to speed adoption and improve performance in the long term.

#3
Managing the Cultural Pitfalls of Hybrid Work

Christine Moorman and Katie Hinkfuss

Although the hybrid work model has been widely adopted among many businesses, the complications it has introduced around peer relationships and connections linger on. A set of strategies presented here can help leaders navigate organizational culture and the socialization of new employees during this era of digital transformation.

#4
Proven Tactics for Improving Teams’ Psychological Safety

Chris Rider, Antoine Ferrère, Zsófia Belovai, Maria Guadalupe, and Florian Englmaier

The authors’ earlier research found that an employee’s psychological safety and their relationships with their managers are key factors in feeling able to bring up ethical concerns. Investigating further, the authors tested managerial interventions that were found to increase that sense of safety and speaking-up behaviors.

#5
How to Engage Skeptics in Culture Interventions

Amy C. Edmondson and Per Hugander

The skill of perspective taking can help build psychological safety for creative, collaborative problem-solving in the workplace. This approach is particularly effective with leaders who are skeptical about psychological safety and other concepts or interventions they see as “soft.” The perspective-taking exercise shared here can help bring diverse team members together to address strategic challenges.

#6
Embrace Mistakes to Build a Learning Culture

Benjamin Laker

Learning from mistakes and critical incidents rather than avoiding them helps foster a culture of growth and collaboration. Leaders can help develop a learning culture by accepting that failures will happen, rewarding employees for sharing knowledge, and using post-incident reviews for growth instead of punishment.

#7
Four Ways to Build a Culture of Honesty and Avoid ‘Productivity Paranoia’

Pamela Meyer

Remote and hybrid work environments can breed distrust, or “productivity paranoia,” between managers and employees or between remote and in-person colleagues. The author describes four steps managers can take to foster a culture of trust and honesty when people aren’t able to interact and develop relationships with one another in person.

#8
Overcoming the Inclusion Facade

Seval Gündemir, Astrid C. Homan, and Lindred (Lindy) Greer

Many companies recognize the importance of increasing diversity and inclusion within decision-making teams, but providing opportunities for diverse employee populations to participate involves more than just offering them a seat at the table. Employees must also have the ability to truly impact team and organizational decisions, also known as shared impact.

#9
How to Support Your Team When Uncertainty Is High

Liz Fosslien

Even in a turbulent environment where employees are facing job insecurity, leadership changes, or a reorg, managers can take steps to give their team members a sense of stability and help mitigate their anxiety. Consider these seven ways managers can support their teams during times of instability to help restore employees’ sense of control and maintain their motivation.

#10
Workplace Toxicity Is Not Just a Mental Health Issue

Deepa Purushothaman and Valerie Rein

Workplace toxicity leads to a host of negative mental and physical health outcomes, particularly for women of color. Leaders can better support these employees and build a more equitable culture with the guidance offered here, starting with sharing more feedback, shifting organizational processes, and valuing contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.