Why Values and Culture Often Don’t Match

There’s a reason this disconnect happens.

As companies grow, values often stay frozen in time. They reflect the early days of the
business, not how people work today. Meanwhile, the way decisions are made, teams
collaborate, and goals are set continues to evolve.

Other times, values are written aspirationally. They describe who the company wants to
be, not what people actually do.

When the gap between stated values and lived culture gets too wide, the consequences
show up quickly:

• Employees lose trust in leadership

• New hires feel misled by the culture they were promised

• Decision-making becomes inconsistent

• Culture drifts without anyone noticing
  
  

A Deloitte study found that only 28% of executives feel they truly understand their
company culture, and just 19% believe they have the right one.

So how do you make sure your values actually show up in the day-to-day? Here’s how:

1. Define Values Through Behavior

A value like “Integrity” sounds great. But what does it look like in real life?

Instead of vague statements, define specific actions that reflect the value.
If “Integrity” is one of your values, it might mean:

• We own our mistakes

• We speak up when something feels off

• We don’t cut corners, even under pressure

2. Clarity makes values useful.

Hire and Promote Based on Values
Don’t just hire based on technical skills. Look for alignment with how your team works
and what your company believes in.

When it comes to promotions, recognize people who consistently model the values. Not
just those who hit their targets.

What you reward becomes your culture.

3. Call Out Values in Action

When someone acts in a way that reflects a company value, name it. Be specific.
Connect it back to what you want to see more of.

This helps your team build a shared language and reinforces what matters.

4. Make Values Part of Decisions

Use your values when making hard choices. Should we launch this product? Partner
with this vendor? Shift this strategy?

If values never come up in decision-making, they are not real. They are decoration.

5. Measure What Matters

Intentions are good. Evidence is better.

With tools like Instill, you can track how values show up in meetings, behaviors, and
feedback. You can see where they are thriving, where they are fading, and where
support is needed.

How Instill Helps Companies Live Their Values

Instill gives companies a way to measure values in action. Not just in theory.

With Instill, you can:

• Monitor values alignment in real time

• See which behaviors are gaining traction and which are not

• Give managers weekly insights to help reinforce the culture

You cannot scale what you cannot see. Instill gives you the visibility to turn values into
action.

Final Thought

Your culture is not what you say.
It is what you reward, what you tolerate, and what you repeat.

Ready to live your values at every level of the company? Try Instill.

Cheers,
The Instill Team