Why Culture Can’t Be Left to Chance
If you’ve ever worked in an office where things felt off, but no one said anything—where people clocked in and out but didn’t care about the work—you’ve experienced a broken culture.
In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas podcast, I had a deeply insightful conversation with Harish Kumar, co-author of *Hope is Not a Strategy*, about the real meaning of organisational culture and why it needs to be built deliberately, not accidentally.
**Culture Is What Happens When No One Is Watching**
Harish defines culture in a simple way: It’s how people behave when nobody is watching. That one line changes everything. Culture isn’t a mission statement pinned to a wall or a set of values read aloud during HR induction. It’s the everyday actions, the unspoken rules, and the emotional environment we all create and experience at work.
**The Garden vs. The Forest**
A powerful analogy Harish shared is that of a garden and a forest. A forest grows wild—some parts flourish, but others get choked by weeds. That’s what happens when culture is left to “just happen.” A garden, on the other hand, is intentionally nurtured. Plants are placed with care, weeds are removed, and everything grows with purpose.
Your organisation already has a culture. The question is—is it one you’re shaping or one that’s shaping you?
**The DRF: Dilemma Resolution Framework**
One of the biggest takeaways from the episode is the Dilemma Resolution Framework (DRF). Harish explains how real organisational values can only be created by observing real-life choices and conflicts. It’s easy to say you believe in “quality” and “speed,” but what happens when you must choose one over the other?
DRF helps leaders explore such real dilemmas to define what truly matters to their organisation. It’s not about having fancy words like “integrity” or “innovation”—it’s about making sure those words translate into action.
**Bridging the Think-Say-Do Gap**
Harish introduces another concept that hits home: the “think-say-do gap.” Founders and leaders might think one thing, say another, and employees might be doing something entirely different on the ground. The larger this gap, the more confused and disconnected a company becomes.
This is why alignment is more important than agreement. People don’t have to think the same way—but they need to be moving in the same direction, like members of an orchestra led by a conductor.
**Building a Culture of Innovation**
Lastly, the episode talks about how companies can build a culture where experimentation is not punished, and failures become learning moments. That’s true innovation—not just launching new products, but encouraging new thinking every day.
If you’re a founder, HR leader, or someone who believes that work can be more meaningful, this episode will give you a framework, a mindset, and real-life examples to transform your organisation from within.
In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas podcast, I had a deeply insightful conversation with Harish Kumar, co-author of *Hope is Not a Strategy*, about the real meaning of organisational culture and why it needs to be built deliberately, not accidentally.
**Culture Is What Happens When No One Is Watching**
Harish defines culture in a simple way: It’s how people behave when nobody is watching. That one line changes everything. Culture isn’t a mission statement pinned to a wall or a set of values read aloud during HR induction. It’s the everyday actions, the unspoken rules, and the emotional environment we all create and experience at work.
**The Garden vs. The Forest**
A powerful analogy Harish shared is that of a garden and a forest. A forest grows wild—some parts flourish, but others get choked by weeds. That’s what happens when culture is left to “just happen.” A garden, on the other hand, is intentionally nurtured. Plants are placed with care, weeds are removed, and everything grows with purpose.
Your organisation already has a culture. The question is—is it one you’re shaping or one that’s shaping you?
**The DRF: Dilemma Resolution Framework**
One of the biggest takeaways from the episode is the Dilemma Resolution Framework (DRF). Harish explains how real organisational values can only be created by observing real-life choices and conflicts. It’s easy to say you believe in “quality” and “speed,” but what happens when you must choose one over the other?
DRF helps leaders explore such real dilemmas to define what truly matters to their organisation. It’s not about having fancy words like “integrity” or “innovation”—it’s about making sure those words translate into action.
**Bridging the Think-Say-Do Gap**
Harish introduces another concept that hits home: the “think-say-do gap.” Founders and leaders might think one thing, say another, and employees might be doing something entirely different on the ground. The larger this gap, the more confused and disconnected a company becomes.
This is why alignment is more important than agreement. People don’t have to think the same way—but they need to be moving in the same direction, like members of an orchestra led by a conductor.
**Building a Culture of Innovation**
Lastly, the episode talks about how companies can build a culture where experimentation is not punished, and failures become learning moments. That’s true innovation—not just launching new products, but encouraging new thinking every day.
If you’re a founder, HR leader, or someone who believes that work can be more meaningful, this episode will give you a framework, a mindset, and real-life examples to transform your organisation from within.
Inspired from episode: Why Culture Can’t Be Left to Chance
Listen to the full episode with “Harish Kumar Bhamidipati” on The Collaborative Canvas Podcast—now streaming on YouTube and Spotify.
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