—Your Shot of Fearless Culture #396
Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.
I started working with a CEO whose company is drowning in change.
New org structure. New business model. Tension everywhere.
His approach? Refresh the values, polish the messaging, and launch an internal campaign.
He is treating culture change like a rebrand.
But culture doesn’t live on marketing campaigns. It lives in the stories people tell, the myths they reinforce, and the scars they carry.
Every organization runs on invisible narratives built over the years, from who gets promoted or which ideas survive to what “doesn’t work here.”
Culture change is not about messaging but narrative. People understand your vision. They simply are not buying it.
If you want to win the narrative war, you first need to understand what you’re up against.
Your people are waiting for a narrative worth joining. Give them one. Right now, someone else is winning the battle.
Explore this week's newsletter:
My latest article → How to Win the Culture Change War
Practical tips to regain control of your narrative
Stay fearless, my friend.
Gustavo
In Case You Missed It
→ Change Hurts: How to Lead Through Loss, Not Logic
Ask Your Team This
What story are people telling about this change that directly conflicts with the official narrative?
⚠️ Try This
Uncover the Hidden Narrative
Culture change fails when the official story doesn’t match people’s lived experience. Rather than creating a new narrative from scratch, reframe the existing one. Start by answering these five questions with brutal honesty:
What really gets people promoted here? Is it playing it safe or taking risks? Fitting in or challenging the status quo? Identify what you actually value, not what you claim to value.
What could get someone fired? Missing deadlines? Speaking up? Challenging leadership? Identify the consequences people fear most. Whether based on facts or not, if people believe them, these fears become reality.
What makes people skeptical about new announcements? “We’ve heard this before.” “They never follow through.” “This will blow over.” Capture people’s actual words to understand their emotions and frustrations.
Where are the biggest contradictions between what your organization praises and rewards? Do you talk about innovation but promote those who maintain the status quo? Praise collaboration but reward lone heroes? Pinpoint these disconnects.
What stories do people tell about failed initiatives? “Leadership killed it.” “We don’t have what it takes.” “Politics got in the way.” These post-mortems reveal how people make sense of failure and what they dislike about the company.
You can complete this exercise alone or—for better results—gather input from employees and compare their answers with the official story. Use it to establish a baseline. Instead of dismissing their narrative, use it as your starting point. How can you reframe it into something new?
I run a more comprehensive version of this exercise with my clients. I hope this simplified version helps you get started.
🍦 Feed Your Curiosity
What mythology reveals about our minds
Why Ford is doubling down on electric vehicles (changing narrative with a bold bet)
How Hastings takes care of Netflix’s narrative (and himself)
🔎 Master Culture Design
The Culture Design Masterclass will help you make culture tangible and actionable by:
Uncovering your actual culture (beyond the values on your wall)
Identifying the hidden gaps blocking change
Designing a culture that drives the behaviors you actually need
Learn more about the Culture Design Masterclass.
“Gustavo is amazing! I had been waiting for this class for months and it was worth the wait! I’m excited to continue the certification journey because one day is just not enough for the amount of wisdom he has to share.”
– Michelle
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Gustavo Razzetti
CEO, Fearless Culture