Introducing the Make It Human HABIT Model: A Practical Way to Build a Growth Culture

Let’s be honest: most culture work doesn’t stick.

It lives in slide decks, posters, or one-off workshops. Meanwhile, the real culture – how people behave, make decisions, and collaborate every day – keeps ticking along, unchanged.

At Make It Human, we do things differently. We treat culture as a habit – something shaped daily, deliberately, and with impact. Our five-step HABIT model is built on behavioural science and years of hands-on experience helping organisations turn culture into a tangible growth driver.

Here’s how it works – plus one simple you can take to get started today.

H — Hear what’s really going on

Forget surface-level engagement surveys. To shape culture, you need to truly listen – to the data and what people feel and experience in the day-to-day. How we feel shapes what we do — this is the critical driver we need to understand to initiate lasting change.

We use diagnostic tools to objectively get under the skin of your culture and uncover what’s fuelling or stalling growth. We also draw upon the latest research and people science to help you calculate the cost of culture friction on your business. A sure way to win support from even the most sceptical stakeholder.

👉 One leader used these tools to uncover a £2.4m drain on performance linked to trust gaps and misaligned priorities. The insight helped unlock senior support and fast-track action.

✅ Get started:

Ask your team one powerful question in your next meeting: “What part of how we work today helps us grow – and what gets in the way?” Then really listen.

A — Align on the future

Most culture work fails because no one knows what they’re aiming for.

Using our proven models, we help teams define the culture they need to grow – grounded in science and real-world examples. It turns vague values into clear behaviours and shared priorities. Unlock the formula for sustained growth and sketch out your culture blueprint using our growth culture canvas, helping map the skills, tools and systems required to make this a success.

👉 One leadership team used it in a single 90-minute session to reset their cultural direction. The shift in clarity and energy was immediate.

✅ Get started:

Sketch out three columns on a page: Past / Present / Future. Fill it in with your team to spark an honest, energising conversation about the future.

B — Build the behaviours

Culture lives in the little things – what gets rewarded, tolerated, and repeated.

Capturing this in a Culture Playbook helps teams define what “great” looks like in practice. That clarity unlocks consistency, accountability and – critically – momentum.

👉 One manager introduced a single question in weekly check-ins: “What helped you grow this week?” It transformed the tone, created ownership, and strengthened team trust.

✅ Get started:

Choose one key behaviour you want to see more of. Name it. Role model it. Reward it. Watch it grow.

I — Integrate it daily

Culture doesn’t live in values posters – it lives in how we run meetings, give feedback, and celebrate wins.

We help you design habits and rituals – small, repeatable routines that bring your culture to life where it matters most: in how work gets done and in the moments that matter. Use our tools to map out your moments that matter and refresh habits to fuel sustainable growth in a targeted and effective way.

👉 An online retailer we worked with introduced early summer shutdowns – creating opportunity to enjoy the longer evenings, rest and recharge. It had a huge impact, lifted morale, and built energy and trust.

✅ Get started:

Pick one recurring team moment – a meeting, a message, a milestone – and tweak it to reinforce your cultural priorities. It’s about shifting the everyday, not adding more.

T — Trust and evolve

Culture isn’t a one-off project. It’s a living, shared responsibility.

We help organisations measure what matters, create space for reflection, and empower teams to take ownership of culture evolution – not just top-down mandates. Use our tools to design holistic KPIs, encouraging focus on why and how, as well as what. And enable teams to have regular culture conversations using our cards.

👉 One leader ran monthly “culture habit swaps” to crowdsource and test improvements across the organisation. People didn’t just feel included – they felt responsible.

✅ Get started:

Choose one small way to involve your team in shaping the culture. Ask: “What’s one thing we could try next month to work better, together?” Then trial it – fast, not perfect.

From theory to traction

The HABIT model is rooted in behavioural science and made for real-world leaders. It’s not another abstract framework. It’s a system – backed by practical tools designed to make culture change real and achievable in the everyday.

You can lead this work yourself, or partner with Make It Human to shape it with you. Either way, you’ll have the support, tools, and momentum to make culture your competitive edge.

Because when culture becomes a habit, growth becomes inevitable.

Join the Make It Human Club and start your journey to a growth culture today.