It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It: Why Workplace Culture Really Matters
It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It: Why Workplace Culture Really Matters
In this photo, I’m channelling my inner Bananarama. While my singing skills definitely need some improvement, I’m confident that “It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It” is the perfect theme tune for workplace culture.
Because culture isn’t just what we say we value. It’s what people see, hear and feel.
It’s the choices we make about how we behave. It’s the way we treat each other when things are busy or difficult. It’s the decisions we make when nobody is watching. And, at its best, it’s that deep alignment between our individual values and the values of the organisation we work for.
Culture isn’t created by policies and procedures. It isn’t determined by a beautifully designed poster of organisational values on the office wall.
Culture is how we show up.
It’s how authentically we demonstrate our moral compass, how we live our purpose and, in our case at Boo, how we contribute to creating healthy and happy workplaces where people can flourish.
At our recent Boo 14th birthday party, I shared a little about why culture matters and, more importantly, what we do at Team Boo to make sure our values aren’t just words — they are reflected in our everyday behaviours.
Enjoying what we do with vibrancy and energy
At Boo, we’re deeply passionate about creating healthy and happy workplaces where people can flourish.
It’s not just about what we do when we create leadership, coaching and wellbeing programmes. It’s also about how we facilitate them.
We create safe learning spaces. We bring fun alongside stretching challenge. We use beautifully designed flipcharts! And we bring a wealth of experience, curiosity and passion for compassionate leadership.
We want people to leave our sessions feeling that learning has been enjoyable, meaningful and energising.
Understanding and valuing what is important to each individual
Whether we’re working with coaching clients, teams or our Team Boo colleagues, relational practice is at the heart of what we do.
We take time to get to know people. We care about what matters to them. We recognise that having a great experience at work is important, and we help people explore what might be possible.
Within Team Boo, we check in with each other during our team days, reflecting on how our individual values are showing up in our work. We also explore how our organisational values are being demonstrated — helping us connect our wellbeing, our relationships and our work.
Seeking every opportunity to learn and develop
As coaches, we’re curious by nature, so continuous learning is hugely important to us.
That means investing in our own professional development, being open to feedback and, importantly, doing something with what we hear. We keep learning about the challenges facing the people and organisations we work with so that we can continue to offer relevant, thoughtful and effective support.
For us, culture means creating an environment where learning isn’t something that happens occasionally. It’s part of who we are.
Caring for our team, customers and community
Amy, our Director of Happiness, recently shared how a listening ear from Becci was incredibly helpful when she was feeling a little “wobbly”. For me, that’s culture in action. Caring isn’t just something we say we value. It’s about noticing when someone needs a little support, making time to listen and being there for each other.
And our care extends beyond Team Boo and our customers. We’re also incredibly proud to be Ambassadors for Bolton, contributing to our local community through the social value work we do.
Collaborating to create the complete customer solution
We’re proud of the expertise we have within Team Boo — but we also know something really important:
You are the expert in your own role, your organisation and your experience.
As coaches, we’re not in the telling space. We don’t arrive with all the answers.
Instead, we collaborate. We get curious. We ask questions. We listen. We support people to find their own path towards the difference they want to see.
That’s why our programmes are designed collaboratively. By working alongside our customers, we can create a bespoke solution that responds to what they actually need and, ultimately, makes a meaningful difference.
So, what does your workplace culture look like?
Our values give us a really useful starting point — but it’s our behaviours that bring them to life.
Because culture isn’t what’s written on the wall.
- It’s what happens in the room.
- It’s what happens in the conversation.
- It’s what happens when things don’t go to plan.
- It’s what people experience when they work with you.
And, perhaps most importantly, it’s not just what you do…
It’s the way that you do it.
If you’re curious about workplace culture and want to explore how you can create a healthier, happier workplace where people can flourish, we’d love to chat.
