What is Intentional Culture?

Intentional culture is the deliberate design and development of an organisation’s unique personality and soul based on shared values and heritage. It represents cultural norms and behaviours that translate into customer-focused actions and bottom-line results. Organisations with intentional cultures don’t leave their workplace environment to chance – they actively shape it to drive high performance and business success.

Why Intentional Culture Matters

Creating and sustaining an intentional culture enables leadership teams to:
Act as catalysts for change and have meaningful impact within their organisation
Understand the powerful relationship between cultural development, high performance, and business results
Build a sustainable culture that consistently dedicates time and resources to cultural excellence
Create the conditions for lasting organisational success

The approach is simple, practical, and consistent; focusing on key aspects that deliver real results.

The Nine Pillars of Intentional Culture

A comprehensive intentional culture framework consists of nine interconnected elements:

Vision Clarity – A clear picture of where the business is heading

Vision provides direction and purpose for everyone in the organisation. It should move beyond the leadership team’s minds and become a constant reference point that all colleagues understand, buy into, and see how they can contribute to achieving it.

Values & Behaviours – HOW we will do things around here

Values and behaviours define the expected standards for how work gets done. True integration happens when leaders and colleagues not only understand these values but actively live them daily, making them the foundation of every interaction and decision.

Strategic Planning – WHAT we will deliver in the next 12-14 months to deliver the vision

Strategic planning creates clear objectives that bridge current reality to the vision. The most effective plans include intentional culture elements and create clear line of sight from individual roles to organisational goals, showing every person how they can positively impact the vision.

Cultural KPI’s – How we measure our culture’s impact with our people and results

What gets measured gets managed. Cultural KPIs go beyond traditional metrics like absence and turnover to include pulse surveys, focus group feedback, and employee net promoter scores. This mix of direct and indirect measures indicates colleague wellbeing and cultural health.

Culture Deal Sheet – Answering the ‘what’s in it for me?’ question for both colleagues and the business

A culture deal sheet provides clarity around expectations and benefits for everyone. It explains how “we do things around here” and how this links to sustainable high performance. When implemented well, it forms the basis of recruitment, development, and performance discussions.

Leadership Behaviours- Actions speak louder than words – leading by example every day, even when things get difficult

Leaders must be exemplars who internalise and live the values daily. The highest-performing organisations have leaders who consistently display expected behaviours, actively coach others, and address performance issues when individuals don’t want to adopt the culture.

Business as Usual – Embedding intentional culture via consistent language and expectations

Culture becomes “how we work” when values and behaviours are deeply embedded across all key processes – recruitment, onboarding, performance development, and talent management. This integration supports and nurtures the intentional culture at every touchpoint.

Performance Conversations – A firm expectation around results balanced with how those results are achieved

Effective performance development balances the “what” (results) with the “how” (behaviours). When these conversations re ongoing, consistent, and valued by both leaders and colleagues, they become positive and impactful moments that reinforce the culture.

Communication Cadence – The golden thread of intentional culture woven into every communication opportunity

Regular two-way communication throughout the organisation, including storytelling that reinforces values and behaviours, keeps culture alive. A matrix of communication forums ensures consistent messaging and creates opportunities for sharing experiences and learning.

Assessing Your Cultural Maturity

Level 1: Foundation

Initial awareness and development, limited implementation

Level 2: Communication

Sharing and cascading to the broader organisation

Level 3: Engagement

Active involvement and reflection from all colleagues

Level 4: Integration

Deep embedding where culture drives daily decisions and actions

Understanding where your organisation stands on each element helps identify priorities and create a roadmap for cultural development.

Building Your Intentional Culture

Creating an intentional culture requires:

Leadership commitment to consistently dedicate time and resources

Clear frameworks that focus teams on key cultural aspects
Practical tools for assessment and planning

Ongoing reinforcement through every organizational process and communication

Patience and persistence as culture develops over time

When organisations approach culture with intention and consistency, they create workplaces where people thrive, performance improves, and business results follow.

Remember: Culture is about creating “a unique personality and soul based on shared values and heritage” that translates into customer-focused actions and bottom-line results. By focusing on these nine pillars, organisations can move from accidental culture to intentional excellence.