“Where does a board begin to redesign how it governs culture?”, writes Julissa Shrewsbury MAICD.
Julissa Shrewsbury MAICD is director of New Work Consulting, working with firms on how their people connect with/communicate their brand and culture. Here, she answers Evelyn’s question.
Culture needs to be on the board agenda at every meeting, addressed through rigorous analysis and strategic planning. In the rapidly changing and increasingly public and litigious business environment, it’s unacceptable to treat culture as a topic addressed only in a crisis.
Modern directors know steering a strong culture is fundamental to business success and their role as stewards. Yet many boards still struggle with an organised approach to culture. Some directors are unclear on how it connects to the rest of the organisation. For example, how does culture work with strategy, brand and value-building for customers?
Often, there is either a lack of culture expertise on the board or a lack of a strong strategic capability among staff informing the board. For example, HR can be focused on key areas such as recruitment and employee engagement, rather than being across the business, its strategic priorities and where culture fits with the delivery of commercial objectives. Data in board packs can be lengthy and hard to make sense of, or inadequate. Culture is often not prioritised on board agendas unless there’s a problem. Its governance then becomes simply reactive.
Use the following starting points to begin your review and planning of culture governance:
1. Ask the right questions of the board
Initiate meaningful discussions by asking:
What is culture? Broaden the understanding. Establish a commitment that culture must be led top-down and informed bottom-up.
What is our culture? How does it need to be seen? What are possible differences in how it is seen by different stakeholders?
How connected are people to that culture? Do employees share lived values and understanding of “how we do things”?
How do we know that? What data does the board need to assess cultural alignment?
2. Get board buy-in
Build awareness of gaps, risks and opportunities in the cultural state. Present scenarios that demonstrate potential blind spots and invite board members to do the same.
3. Know the landscape
Equip the board with a comprehensive understanding of the culture landscape:
Board training: Targeted training will ensure board members are informed about best-practice approaches to culture governance and critical cultural issues and trends
Internal insights: Develop a clear picture of how the organisation approaches culture leadership and management
Competitor awareness: Stay informed on how peers embed culture in their governance. Use the insight to refine your approach.
4. Request key data in board papers
Ensure the board receives actionable data on culture by asking for what you want to see. Your requirements should be informed by your understanding from the above action points, to focus the board’s attention in a limited amount of time. Insist on clear analysis, not pages of data.
5. Effectiveness of purpose and values
Do the stated purpose and values resonate with employees and drive desired behaviours? If they lack clarity, relevance or alignment, work with management to refine these elements to better support the organisation’s cultural goals.
6. Choose a comprehensive culture framework
Select a framework that connects all aspects of the organisation such as strategy, governance, leadership, employees, systems and practices. A cohesive framework ensures culture becomes an integral part of decision-making, accountability and daily operations across the organisation. It connects everything and everyone.
This article first appeared under the headline ‘The Fix’ in the April 2025 issue of Company Director magazine.
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