09-04-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

26 cultural values companies get wrong

From accountability to transparency, leaders share where culture can go off track.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

BY Fast Company Impact Council

Organizational culture is often defined by its values, or lack thereof. Values are a key ingredient in “what’s it like to work here” that potential hires try to discover before signing on. It’s also what causes current employees, clients, or customers to stay or leave. 

Values often get defined in mission statements or corporate branding. But stating what they are doesn’t always make them so. We asked members of the Fast Company Impact Council what’s a cultural value they think most companies get wrong. Here’s what came to mind for 26 of those members.

Most companies get originality wrong: They confuse relevance with resemblance, assuming brands and products should look, sound, or behave “a certain way.” In established categories, teams often, consciously or unconsciously, copy successful competitors until their own brand becomes interchangeable. In my experience, the antidote is thoughtful and disciplined questioning: “What can we credibly contribute that others cannot?” and “What non-consensus belief do we hold about this category?” Let those answers guide decisions and keep originality from being diluted by category conventions. — Erik Herrström, STUDIO HERRSTRÖM

2. EXCELLENCE AND EMPATHY

Too many organizations treat excellence and empathy as competing priorities. They aren’t. At the nonprofit I lead, we believe high performance is built on what we call “gracious professionalism.” It’s the idea that respect and kindness are not at odds with excellence. They make excellence possible. When people feel valued and empowered to share ideas, they become better problem-solvers and stronger collaborators. That culture doesn’t just produce better outcomes. It makes success more meaningful. We strive to instill these same values in the young people we serve so they carry gracious professionalism with them throughout their lives and careers. — Chris Moore, FIRST

3. COMMUNITY-ENGAGEMENT

Companies that treat community engagement as a one-way ask (e.g., give money, give time, lend expertise) tend to burn out the donors, volunteers, and partners they depend on. The stronger model runs both ways. If a company is asking a community to trust it with volunteers or funding, it should offer something durable back: training, mentorship, or a real seat in decision-making. Reciprocity builds partnership that a check alone cannot buy. Companies that only ask eventually run out of people willing to say yes. — Kellie Lauth, MindSpark

I think a lot of companies get innovation wrong. They treat it as a department, a campaign, or a technology investment, when really it is a behavior. Innovation is not just about moving fast or adopting the latest tool. It is about creating a culture where people are allowed to question the old way, test new ideas, and learn without fear of looking unfinished. For me, the companies that get it right don’t just talk about innovation. They make space for curiosity, trust, and intelligent risk-taking. That is where meaningful creative work happens. — Virtyt Pula, TOML Collective

Most organizations say they value it. Few actually practice it. The difference becomes clear when being transparent is uncomfortable. Real transparency isn’t the well-crafted, all-hands update or the carefully worded memo. It’s what happens when the honest answer is harder than the polished one. That’s when most companies retreat into messaging. Organizations that get it right treat transparency as a cultural commitment, not a tool to be deployed selectively. When people trust that they’re getting........

© Fast Company