Company culture is often described through values, statements, behaviours, or the way a business presents itself externally.
In reality, culture is experienced in much smaller, everyday moments. It shows up in how holiday requests are handled, how easy it is to find information, and whether decisions feel consistent from one manager to another.
Most culture issues don’t come from poor leadership or bad intent. More often, they develop quietly when processes are unclear, inconsistent, or overly reliant on memory and spreadsheets.
Across growing SMEs, we tend to see businesses lean towards one of the following culture types. None are right or wrong in isolation, but each comes with its own strengths and challenges.
The “Keep Control” Culture
In a “Keep Control” culture, decisions are tightly managed and approvals play a central role in how work gets done. This approach often develops in businesses where risk is high, compliance matters, or teams are growing quickly and leaders want to maintain consistency.
When managed well, this culture provides clarity and structure. Managers feel confident that decisions are checked and risks are minimised. However, as businesses grow, this level of control can start to slow things down. Simple decisions take longer, managers become bottlenecks, and employees can feel frustrated by delays around everyday tasks such as holiday approvals.
Often, this increased control isn’t about trust. It’s about visibility. When information isn’t easy to access or kept up to date, managers naturally feel the need to double-check everything themselves.
The “Trust People” Culture
The “Trust People” culture is built on autonomy. Businesses with this approach focus on outcomes rather than processes and give people the freedom to manage their own time and workload.
This can work extremely well in experienced teams where roles require independence and flexibility. Employees feel empowered, and managers spend less time monitoring day-to-day activity.
Challenges tend to appear when information isn’t shared consistently. Without clear systems in place, decisions can start to feel uneven. Managers rely on memory rather than facts, and employees may perceive unfairness, even when none is intended.
Trust doesn’t usually break down because people misuse it. More often, it fades when systems don’t support clear and consistent decision-making.
The “Results First” Culture
In a “Results First” culture, performance takes priority. Targets are clear, pace is fast, and administrative tasks are kept to a minimum wherever possible.
This approach can be highly effective in sales-led or scaling businesses where momentum matters. Teams are focused, driven, and motivated by clear outcomes.
Over time, however, deprioritising admin can create blind spots. Training records fall behind, compliance gaps go unnoticed, and people issues only surface when they become urgent. The risks don’t disappear — they simply remain hidden in the background until they demand attention.
The “People Matter” Culture
Businesses with a “People Matter” culture place wellbeing, development and fairness at the heart of their decisions. They invest in their teams, encourage open conversations, and focus heavily on retention.
This approach often leads to strong engagement and loyalty, particularly in client-facing or values-led organisations. However, without clear structure, good intentions don’t always translate into consistent experiences. Managers may avoid difficult conversations, and employees across different teams may be treated differently without meaning to.
Fairness isn’t just about intent. It relies on clear, shared processes that everyone understands.
What All Cultures Have in Common
Despite their differences, all four culture types tend to face the same underlying challenges as businesses grow. Information becomes harder to find, decisions are handled differently by different managers, and spreadsheets or email chains fill the gaps.
Over time, this creates friction, uncertainty and frustration — even in otherwise well-run organisations.
The Quiet Role of HR Systems
HR systems don’t create company culture, but they play an important role in protecting it.
Clear, shared processes help managers make confident decisions and give employees clarity about where they stand. They reduce friction, remove guesswork, and support fairness across the business.
When the basics work properly, culture becomes something you reinforce every day — rather than something you need to fix later.
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