How to make investing in culture a no-brainer

Let’s be honest — getting buy-in for culture change is one of the hardest things to do in a business. Whether you’re proposing a team development day, a manager coaching programme, or a broader culture transformation, it often feels like you’re met with polite nods… and then silence.

Culture might be named as a top priority, but behind the scenes, it rarely makes the cut when it comes to actual investment or action. Why? Because culture change is often seen as “too complex,” “too people-focused,” and “not urgent.”

And that’s the problem. This inertia—doing nothing—can cost your business far more than you realise.

In our recent Coffee & Culture session, we explored how to make culture investment feel like a no-brainer. Here's a recap of three practical steps you can take today to turn culture talk into meaningful change.

Step 1: Make the Cost of Inaction Visible

Most leaders know something is off—slipping engagement, poor collaboration, rising burnout. But too often, these insights stay buried in feedback reports or HR dashboards without sparking real action.

Here’s how to break the cycle

Start by calculating the cost of doing nothing: 

📉 Poor culture can result in up to 20% employee turnover, and replacing one person can cost 2x their salary.

💸 Disengagement can reduce productivity by up to 18% per employee annually.

🧠 Lack of inclusion and fairness can increase the risk of serious health issues by 35–55%, leading to higher absence rates and long-term burnout.

From: MIT Sloan, 2022

These numbers add up fast — and they’re just the start. Poor culture makes it harder to attract great people, retain talent, and maintain performance.

👉 Try this: Use internal data to estimate turnover and productivity loss from disengagement. Frame your case as a cost-saving and risk-reduction initiative, not just a ‘nice to have.’

Step 2: Link Culture to What the Business Cares About

The most effective cases for culture investment are built around what your business is trying to achieve right now.

We love using the Corporate Drivers of Performance model to connect culture change directly to business strategy. Here are the four key drivers—find out which one applies most to your company today:

• Cash – Needed for operations or survival. Common in industries like banking, insurance, or pharmaceuticals.

  
  

• Assets – Tangible things (like buildings, equipment, or IP) that generate income. Think logistics, airlines, hotels.

   

• Profit – Key when operating in low-margin environments like retail, hospitality or construction.

   

• Growth – Focused on sales and recurring revenue (e.g., SaaS, subscription models).

Once you identify your business’s key driver, link your culture initiative to how it improves performance in that area.

🎯 Example: If growth is your driver, show how better culture fuels sales performance, increases value for clients, and growth in recurring revenue.

🏆 Bonus idea: Make tangible habits link directly to your business drivers. If profit is key, follow Spotify’s lead by embedding cost-awareness into everyday culture. They show employees the monetary cost of meetings — connecting habits to business outcomes in a visible, behavioural way.

Step 3: Start Small, Show It Works

You don’t need to launch a company-wide culture transformation on day one. In fact, we advise against it.

Instead, focus on one micro-culture—a team, a region, a function—and build a case from there.

✅ Use existing budget or start with a low/no-cost initiative.

✅ Measure before and after data (e.g., engagement scores, productivity, feedback).

✅ Share the story — loudly, proudly and often.

This approach is not only more manageable, it also creates a ripple effect. When people see something working, they want to be part of it.

💡 Deloitte calls this the power of “mighty micro-cultures” — small teams creating change that inspires others across the business.

TL;DR – The Culture Investment Checklist

If you want your culture change idea to move forward (and not die in the inbox), here’s your quick checklist:

✅ Calculate the cost of doing nothing

✅ Link to what your business values today

✅ Start small and prove early impact

Helpful Tools to Explore

🔍 Take the free Growth Culture Scorecard to get a personalised snapshot of your culture's strengths and gaps.

📚 Explore our online course: Nurturing Growth Cultures (Module 1 is all about building your business case).

📞 Want to chat through your culture case or get tailored support? Book a call with us.

Want More? Join the MIH Club

We dive deeper into topics like this in our Make It Human Club — a space for leaders, HR pros and culture champions to get practical tools, join live discussions, and stay inspired.

Become a member and you can access all our Coffee & Culture replays and tools, for free!

🔔 Next Coffee & Culture session:

📅 3rd July

💬 Topic: How to Shape Culture Habits That Fuel Growth

We’ll explore real-life habit examples (like that Spotify meeting hack) and help you figure out where to start — at a pace that actually works for your team.

Culture isn't a ‘soft’ issue. It’s a strategic one.

And when you build your case with clarity and purpose, it becomes a no-brainer.

See you at the next Coffee & Culture—and inside the MIH Club.