Greg Aftayev – Managing Partner – (636) 256-5710
Let’s talk about culture. Not the stuff in yogurt, not the Louvre, and definitely not that summer you spent in Bali trying to “find yourself” through interpretive dance and kombucha. No, we’re talking about business culture — that slippery, shape-shifting concept that every company swears they have “figured out.”
Culture: The Corporate Buzzword That Means Everything and Nothing
If you’ve ever sat in a meeting where someone says, “We need to protect the culture,” you probably nodded solemnly like they were talking about the endangered bald eagle. But deep down, you had no clue what they meant. That’s because “culture” is like pineapple on pizza: everyone has an opinion, and half the room is silently judging the other half.
To some, culture means ping-pong tables, Slack emojis, and that one guy in IT who wears ironic T-shirts and refers to the office as “the dojo.”
To others, it’s leadership transparency, shared core values, or just “people not being jerks.”And to a small but vocal group, it’s about snacks. Never underestimate the power of a stocked breakroom and a well-timed donut.
HR’s Definition of Culture: A Carefully Worded Poster
Ask HR about culture and they’ll break out the laminated mission statement from 2007. It usually involves words like “collaboration,” “excellence,” and “integrity.” And yes, the intern spelled “excellence” wrong on the first draft, but that’s beside the point. Culture, to HR, is measured in engagement surveys, awkward icebreakers, and quarterly events where you have to pretend to enjoy bowling with Brenda from accounting.
The CEO’s Definition of Culture: “Like a Family!”
Let’s not forget the classic CEO line: “We’re like a family here.” Which is true, in the sense that there’s mild dysfunction, passive-aggressive email threads, and at least one person you hide from in the kitchen. But hey, there’s also loyalty, camaraderie, and an unspoken agreement never to bring up what happened at last year’s holiday party.
To some execs, culture is wearing jeans on Fridays. To others, it’s hiring people who fit the “vibe,” which is code for “we want someone who won’t question our obsession with morning standups and dry-erase walls.”
The Employee’s Definition: Vibes, Trust, and Will You Fire Me?
To the average employee, culture boils down to this:
- Do I like the people I work with?
- Am I respected for my ideas?
- Can I wear sneakers without an HR violation?
- Is Karen still micromanaging the color of my Excel charts?
In truth, culture is less about words and more about feelings. It’s how the place makes you feel at 9:02 AM on a Monday when your coffee spills and the Wi-Fi crashes. If your first instinct is to laugh with your team instead of rage-apply to every remote job on LinkedIn, your company might just have a good culture.
So What Is Good Culture?
Here’s what I believe: the real foundation of a strong company culture is good communication and mutual respect. That’s it. No bean bags, no catered lunches, no NFT loyalty programs. Just people who speak clearly, listen openly, and treat each other like adults — not interns at a dodgeball startup.
Good communication means no passive-aggressive emails, no mind-reading expectations, and no “Let’s circle back” black holes. It means saying what you mean, following through, and being open enough to admit when something’s not working — without needing a 12-slide PowerPoint.
Respect is when people actually show up on time, consider other people’s workloads, and don’t throw you under the bus just because the boss walked in unexpectedly during a heated Slack debate about the coffee brand in the breakroom.
Culture Isn’t a Perk — It’s the People
Here’s the real kicker: You can’t “install” culture like it’s a software update. You build it — slowly, awkwardly, and sometimes while arguing over what to name the fantasy football league. It’s the thousand tiny things that make people stay: how managers listen, how peers support one another, how feedback is delivered (ideally with a compliment sandwich and not just, “This is trash, fix it”).
And yes, the Friday bagels help. Let’s not pretend they don’t.
Bottom Line
Culture means different things to different people. To some, it’s the vibe. To others, it’s values. To a few, it’s free LaCroix. And to the truly enlightened… it’s whether or not you can fart in the elevator without fearing social exile.
But for me? It’s good communication and respect. You get those two right, and the rest — trust, collaboration, loyalty, fun — they follow.
So the next time someone says, “We’ve got a great culture,” ask them this:
“What kind?”
And if they say, “We have kick ass happy hours,”… run.