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Blogs & insights
You can now find our library of culture tools & session playbacks inside the
Explore our latest blogs and articles using the categories below:
Simplifying Culture
Move culture from fuzzy to focused with tools to simplify.
Hear how people feel (HABIT step 1)
Learn how to evaluate your culture & win stakeholder support.
Integrate it daily (HABIT step 4)
Pinpoint moments & skills to ensure leaders & managers bring culture to life.
Culture Stories
Insights & inspiration from workplaces around the world.
Align on the future (HABIT step 2)
Pick the best direction to fuel sustainable growth for your culture & business.
Trust & evolve
(HABIT step 5)
Culture is never done! Tools to help measure & improve your culture.
Culture Habits
Small practices with BIG impact. Pick-up & use habits to nudge towards growth.
Build the behaviours (HABIT step 3)
Clearly define and turn desired behaviours into everyday reality.
Culture Skills
Resources and practices to keep your culture skills sharp!
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Culture is a team sport: how HR, Leaders and Managers create a system for growth
Image by Roddy Corona, via Canva Watch a high-performing rowing crew and, from the riverbank, it can look almost effortless. Eight people move as one. Every stroke is timed. The boat gathers speed. No single rower appears to be working independently, yet each person is making a distinct contribution. Look more closely, however, and you see the system behind the performance. There is a coach building capability and creating the conditions for success. A cox helps the crew navi
Sarah McLellan
Aug 314 min read
Culture Wins Long Before Kick-Off
Photo by Kris Han, via Canva Millions of us have spent the last few weeks watching the World Cup. Most conversations afterwards have been about tactics, substitutions and moments of brilliance. But as I watched the tournament unfold, I found myself asking a different question. Why did some teams seem to grow stronger under pressure while others gradually fell apart? Not because they lacked talented players. Not because they suddenly forgot how to play football. Something el
Sarah McLellan
Aug 314 min read
What Happens When Five Organisations Become One? Lessons in Building Culture Through Change
Image by Alan Aprilio via Unsplash Mergers and acquisitions are usually measured through financial performance, operational integration and the delivery of commercial targets. Yet, long after systems have been combined and structures redesigned, one question often determines whether integration succeeds: Do people trust the organisation they're now part of? That question sat at the centre of our recent Coffee & Culture conversation with Jonny Friedman, SVP People & Talent
Make It Human
Jul 144 min read
Culture Stories: Why connection doesn't happen by accident – shaping a Growth Culture at MoveUp Media
Working remotely, image by Wix When Fleur Vialatte joined MoveUp Media as Head of People, she wasn't just helping to shape a growing organisation, she was helping to answer a question that many organisations are still grappling with today. How do you create a genuine sense of connection when your people may never share the same office? MoveUp Media had grown rapidly in just a few years to a team of around 160 people spread across multiple countries. It was fast-moving, ambiti
Make It Human
Jul 105 min read
3 Ways to Lead the Emotional Side of Change
Photo from Wix Images We often treat change as a rational process: plans, milestones, communications. But the reality is far messier — and far more human. In recent research shared by Paul Emberlin, one theme stood out clearly: leaders aren’t just managing change — they’re absorbing it. As Paul described, many feel like “emotional sponges,” carrying the weight of uncertainty, resistance, and pressure from all directions. At the same time, many organisations unintentionall
Make It Human
May 43 min read
Culture Stories: How Menlo Innovations Build a Joyful & Accountable Culture
Sources: Menlo Innovations website. Correct as of Oct 2025. Intentionally designing an environment where fear is pushed out In Ann Arbor, Michigan, sits a small software firm with a big idea: What if work could be joyful — not stressful, hierarchical, or fear-driven, but truly human? That’s the philosophy behind Menlo Innovations, a 50-person tech company that has spent two decades intentionally designing a culture around joy, teamwork, and learning. Founded by Richard
Make It Human
Oct 23, 20254 min read
Culture Stories: The Inside Story of Zapier's Growth Culture (without meetings!)
Sources: Zapier website and YouTube channel. Correct as of Oct 2025. Meet Less. Align More. How Zapier Built a Thriving Remote Culture How do you keep 800 people, scattered across 40+ countries, aligned and energised — without defaulting to endless meetings? That’s the question Zapier has been answering since the very beginning. Unlike many organisations forced into remote work during the pandemic, Zapier has been fully distributed since day one. And that has shaped every
Make It Human
Oct 9, 20254 min read
Culture Stories: The Octopus Energy Way — Autonomy in Service of Customers
Source: Octopus Energy website , September 2025. At Make It Human, our Culture Stories series takes a closer look at organisations that have cracked the code on culture. This time, we zoomed in on Octopus Energy—a company that has not only shaken up the energy industry but also built a culture that fuels both people and performance. Founded in 2015 by Greg Jackson, Octopus now has 11,000 employees worldwide and revenues of $12bn. They’re profitable, fast-growing, and well
Make It Human
Sep 25, 20253 min read
What Leaders Really Want to Know About Culture
For the final Coffee & Culture session before the summer break, we did things a little differently. No slides, no set agenda — just a space to surface the real questions leaders are grappling with around culture. In the session, we asked our community to vote on the top topics they wanted to explore. Here’s how they ranked: How can we get the balance right between flexibility and connection? How do I turn vague values into real behaviours people live every day? How can we
Sarah McLellan
Jul 17, 20253 min read
Want to fuel growth? Start with habits
When you look at the world’s most successful companies, from Google to Shopify, there’s a pattern that shows up again and again. They all shape great culture habits. Not once. Not as a campaign. But consistently, intentionally, and with purpose. Because here’s the truth: growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built daily, in the micro-behaviours and habits that shape how people work, learn, connect and lead. And without intentional focus and targeted nudging, we slip towar
Make It Human
Jul 3, 20253 min read
Mattering Matters: Why Shaping Meaningful Moments is a Leadership Imperative
“I joined a new role full of hope. Two weeks in, I discovered the company was being acquired — everything changed. I felt misled, deceived… and I chose to leave." Source: Wix images This story, shared by Make It Human founder Sarah McLellan in our latest Coffee & Culture session, is more than just a personal anecdote. It’s a powerful reminder that people don’t leave jobs — they leave feelings. A single moment can either cement trust or shatter it. We’re living in a time wh
Make It Human
Jun 5, 20252 min read
3 quick ways to evaluate your culture
In today’s fast-paced world of work, culture isn’t static—it’s evolving constantly. As a leader or manager, one of the most valuable things you can do is pause, take a step back, and evaluate how your culture is shaping the way people feel, think, and act at work. But how do you do that without launching a full-scale survey or engaging a consultant? Here are three quick, practical ways to get under the skin of your culture—without needing extra tools or systems. 1. List
Make It Human
May 2, 20252 min read
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