Culture Theater vs. Culture Reality

Are You Performing or Living Your Core Values?

Have you ever wondered whether your company’s culture is more projection than practice?

It’s easy to fall in love with the idea of having a strong corporate culture—one that attracts top talent, boosts engagement, and delivers on your brand’s promises. But here’s a tough question: Is your organization merely performing its culture, or is it actually living it?

Take a moment to think about your company’s core values. Are they embedded in everything you do, from how you hire to how you lead team meetings? Or do they sometimes feel like buzzwords on your website—values you say you believe in but don’t always show up in day-to-day operations?

What challenges do you face when trying to embed these values into the heart of your organization?

If you’re like most companies, you probably have a set of inspiring core values. But perhaps you struggle with the disconnect between what your brand projects and what actually happens internally.?

You may want to be seen as innovative, transparent, and employee-focused, but are those words truly backed by your company’s actions?

The Allure of Culture Theater

This challenge is not unique to you. Many organizations fall into what we call Culture Theater—where the presentation of culture is vibrant, but the execution is lacking. It looks good on the surface, but the core values are treated more as branding slogans than action-driving principles.?

These companies can sound great in interviews, with polished handbooks and onboarding materials, yet something’s missing in the day-to-day reality.

Culture Theater is all about projection:

? The beautifully written mission statement that lives on your website, but isn’t reflected in leadership decisions.

? The core values that hang in the office but don’t influence employee behavior or problem-solving approaches.

? The celebrated team-building events that feel more like photo-ops than opportunities for genuine connection.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Many organizations, especially larger ones, face this issue—projecting a polished image of their culture without backing it up with real action.

The Switch to Culture Reality

But here’s the good news: You can transition from Culture Theater to Culture Reality. The difference? Culture Reality is when your company’s values are truly embedded into the fabric of your operations. It’s when your employees, at every level, experience and live your values in meaningful ways. It’s not about saying the right things; it’s about doing them.

This shift can be measured by what I call the Do-Say Ratio—a simple yet powerful metric that tracks how much of what you say you do is actually put into action. A high Do-Say Ratio means your culture is more than words. It’s a reality lived every day.

What’s Your Do-Say Ratio?

Let’s be honest: Many companies have a Do-Say Ratio that’s less than ideal. To move from culture theater to culture reality, you must start by asking yourself these introspective questions:

1. Are our core values reflected in how we make decisions at every level?

2. Do our hiring practices prioritize cultural fit or just skills and experience?

3. Is our onboarding process designed to immerse new hires in our culture, or does it just teach them how to do their jobs?

4. Are our meetings, problem-solving approaches, and feedback systems aligned with our core values?

5. Do we recognize and reward behaviors that embody our values?

6. When employees see leadership in action, do they see our values on display?

If these questions reveal gaps, it’s time to take action. Culture Reality isn’t about perfection; it’s about consistently striving to do better and align your operations with your values.

Steps to Move Toward Culture Reality

1. Assess Your Current Culture: Conduct a cultural audit or use employee feedback tools to understand where the disconnects are. Look for areas where your values are stated but not lived.

2. Align Leadership with Culture: Culture starts from the top. Leaders should be role models, consistently living out the company’s core values. If leadership doesn’t embody the culture, employees won’t either.

3. Embed Values in Hiring and Onboarding: When hiring, don’t just look for skills—look for cultural fit. Once hired, new employees should go through an onboarding process that immerses them in the company’s values, not just its workflows.

4. Reinforce Values in Daily Operations: Create processes that encourage employees to live the company’s values. This could be through feedback systems, recognition programs, and even the way meetings are structured. Are your core values visible in how problems are solved? How feedback is given? How successes are celebrated?

5. Measure the Do-Say Ratio: Take stock regularly by asking employees and leaders whether the company’s actions reflect its stated values. The higher your Do-Say Ratio, the closer you are to living Culture Reality.

Tips for Improving Your Culture Reality

? Make Values Actionable: Your core values should be action words, not just ideals. Translate them into specific, everyday behaviors that all employees can practice.

? Reward Cultural Alignment: Create recognition programs that celebrate employees who consistently live out the company’s values. When employees see that cultural alignment is recognized, they’ll be more motivated to embody those values.

? Foster Transparency: Open communication about your culture—both its strengths and areas for growth—helps employees feel connected to and responsible for living the culture.

? Create Ownership: Empower employees to take ownership of the company culture by involving them in decisions that shape the culture. This shared responsibility ensures that culture is lived, not just projected.

Culture is More Than What You Say—It’s What You Do

Culture Theater is tempting—it allows companies to look great from the outside. But true culture power lies in action, not projection. It’s in the way your organization lives out its values every single day. Moving toward Culture Reality will not only create a more authentic work environment but also attract top talent, improve engagement, and drive long-term success.

So, what’s your Do-Say Ratio? Are you ready to move beyond the stage and start living your culture?