Does Your Team Culture Need a Reset?

Every workplace has a culture. It’s the unspoken energy that lives in the hallways, the meeting rooms, and the Zoom calls. Culture is how people treat each other, how they talk when the boss isn’t around, and what behaviors get rewarded or ignored.

When culture is strong, people feel safe, valued, and motivated. They take pride in their work and support one another. When culture turns toxic, the signs are hard to miss: gossip, low trust, high turnover, and an overall feeling that people are surviving instead of thriving.

If you’ve been sensing that your team is out of alignment, it may be time for a culture reset.

5 Signs Your Team Culture Needs a Reset

1. Gossip is the default conversation. When people spend more time talking about each other than to each other, trust breaks down quickly.

2. Negativity spreads faster than solutions. Complaints echo in meetings, while constructive ideas never gain traction.

3. High performers are disengaging. The people you rely on most are burned out, checked out, or even walking out.

4. Leaders avoid tough conversations. When accountability slips, standards erode. People notice when bad behavior is tolerated.

5. People describe work as “draining” instead of “fulfilling.” A culture reset is overdue when your team feels depleted instead of energized.

   
   

How to Hit Reset on Your Team Culture

1. Name It. Acknowledge that the culture needs work. Ignoring it sends a louder message than addressing it.

2. Reconnect to Purpose. Ask the team: “Why do we exist? What impact are we here to make?” Shared purpose fuels alignment.

3. Create Team Agreements. Facilitate a session where the group decides together:

• 10 values we will live by (respect, accountability, collaboration).

• 10 behaviors we won’t tolerate (gossip, blame, disrespect, apathy).

When people write the rules themselves, they own them.

4. Model the Behavior.Leaders must embody the values daily. If you want trust, transparency, and collaboration, show it in every action.

5. Hold Each Other Accountable. Culture isn’t a poster on the wall. It’s reinforced in real-time conversations. Redirect gossip. Praise collaboration. Address negativity immediately.

The Ripple Effect of a Reset

Resetting your culture doesn’t just reduce complaints or turnover — it unlocks potential. Teams that trust one another innovate faster. They solve problems creatively. They support each other in ways that strengthen performance and well-being.

A culture reset isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence. It’s about building an environment where people can show up as their best selves and know they’ll be respected, valued, and supported.

Journal Questions

• What’s one behavior in your workplace that builds trust?

• What’s one behavior you know is eroding it?

• What’s one action you can take this week to model the culture you want?

If your team culture needs a reset, don’t wait for things to “fix themselves.” They won’t. As a leader — whether you manage two people or two hundred — you have the opportunity to reset the tone and invite others to rise with you.

Culture changes one choice, one boundary, and one conversation at a time.

Ask yourself: “Am I ready to be the thermostat, not the thermometer?” Because true leaders don’t just measure the temperature — they set it.

For a deeper dive into navigating transitions like this, see The Change Guidebook by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, which provides a practical framework for leading teams through transformation with clarity and courage. And for those redefining what success looks like in the workplace, The Success Guidebook introduces the 10 Factors of Success — a model that helps leaders and teams build alignment, sustain progress, and celebrate wins together.