Culture isn’t what you say, it’s what your people do. Yet many organisations rely solely on surveys to measure culture, missing the behaviours, mindsets, and subtle nuances that unlock potential and fuel growth. In this article, we draw on our experience working with global brands to share best practice for measuring and transforming culture: turning insight into action, and equipping leaders with practical tools for effective, sustained change.

A business must first identify and align on the mindsets and behaviours that will foster the desired culture. This creates a shared understanding of how people are expected to show up every day — from leading and collaborating effectively, to making decisions, solving problems, and engaging with customers. Without this clarity, measurement becomes abstract and disconnected from the business strategy.

When it comes to assessing culture, it’s not about ticking boxes. The focus should be on outcomes: tangible evidence of shifts in how decisions are made, how teams work together, and how leaders role-model the behaviours the organisation values. These changes are what ultimately shape the experience the business delivers to its people, customers, and wider stakeholders.

Culture tracking should be selective, not exhaustive. Tracking too many indicators risks creating data overload and diluting insight. The goal is to understand how culture either accelerates or inhibits business performance. Often, the strongest evidence already exists in core KPIs: customer satisfaction, employee retention, time-to-market, safety metrics, and the innovation pipeline.

Anchoring culture measurement in outcomes the business already tracks, or needs to track to achieve its goals, ensures leaders can cut through the noise and link culture directly to performance, enabling actionable change.

No single method can capture the full picture of culture. The most effective diagnostics blend quantitative rigour with qualitative depth. Surveys, KPI trends, and retention rates reveal patterns at scale, while interviews, focus groups, and observation uncover the human stories behind the numbers.

Drawing from a wide spectrum of sources, from engagement scores and exit interviews to customer feedback and performance reviews, gives leaders a multidimensional view. The real power lies in connecting these data points into a coherent narrative: not just what is happening, but why, and where to act to unlock meaningful, lasting change.

Once the right data is identified, determine the scale and methodology: what should be tracked enterprise-wide to reveal systemic patterns, and where regional, functional, or team-level insights provide richer detail.

Dashboards bring this data to life, combining hard metrics with qualitative insight. Wherever possible, build on existing reporting systems rather than starting from scratch. This not only reduces duplication but ensures culture measurement is integrated into the organisation’s existing performance rhythm.

Analysing and presenting culture data in ways stakeholders can quickly understand and act on is key, to help organisations identify what’s working, what needs adjustment, and respond in real time.

As the business grows, the strategy evolves, and new challenges emerge, the culture must adapt too. Adopting a “beta mindset” where both the culture and its measurement are continuously reviewed and refined, ensures it flexes to support growth, agility, and long-term success.

To find out more about how you can embed your culture please get in touch at [email protected].

Written by David Hanney, Senior Strategy Consultant