Culture Bites

ตอน

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  262 - Culture is Cause and Effect: How to Change the Causes to Change the Results 21.09.2026 26นาที

  Culture doesn’t happen by accident. The systems, structures, measures and leadership behaviours inside an organisation are constantly sending people messages about what is really expected — and those messages become culture. In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores the Human Synergistics How Culture Works model and explains why lasting culture change requires leaders to look beyond values statements and engagement results to the causes underneath. Using examples including ownership, innovation, performance and safety, Dominic explores how organisations can unintentionally reinforce the very behaviours they say they want to change. If you want to change performance, change the culture. And if you want to change the culture, start with the causes.
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  261 How To: Make Decisive Decisions 07.09.2026 17นาที

  What does it really mean to be decisive? It doesn’t always mean making one big call and committing everything. Sometimes the better approach is to make a smaller decision, take the next useful step, learn something and decide again. In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley continues the Leader’s Toolbox series by exploring a more practical approach to decisive decision making. Dominic looks at how leaders can escape analysis paralysis, turn assumptions into experiments, make uncertainty more specific and distinguish between the quality of a decision and the outcome it produces. He also explores why the way organisations respond when calculated risks don’t work out can either encourage people to make decisions – or teach them to push every decision upwards. Because decisiveness isn’t about being certain you’re right. It’s about being willing to move forward, learn quickly and make the next decision. Visit the full notes for this episode here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/how-to-make-decisive-decisions/
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  260 How To: Give Better Feedback with SBI 24.08.2026 28นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley adds another practical tool to the Leader’s Toolbox: SBI – Situation, Behaviour, Impact. Dominic explores how leaders can give feedback that is specific, constructive and more likely to create learning rather than defensiveness. He explains why good feedback starts before the conversation, how relationships and intent shape the way feedback is received, why leaders should “choose their hard” and address issues early, and how to use the three steps of SBI. You’ll also hear how SBI can make positive feedback more useful, what to do after you’ve delivered the feedback, and why becoming better at receiving feedback is just as important as learning how to give it. Visit the full notes for this episode here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/how-to-give-better-feedback-with-sbi/
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  259 How To: After Action Review (Grow Achievement) 09.08.2026 18นาที

  What if one of the most powerful leadership tools only took five minutes? In this episode, you'll discover the four simple questions that can transform the way you reflect on meetings, presentations, client conversations, projects and even your own leadership. We also explore: Why life is training... if you're paying attention The difference between Achievement and Perfectionistic thinking How to use After Action Reviews to build a culture of continuous improvement Real examples of using the tool after client meetings, workshops and leadership coaching Why small, consistent improvements compound into exceptional performance Whether you lead a team or simply want to improve your own performance, this episode will give you a practical tool you can start using today. The four questions What was supposed to happen? What actually happened? Why did it happen that way? What will we repeat or do differently next time? Visit the full notes for this episode here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/after-action-review/
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  Conference 2026 - MEL Aug 25th, SYD Sept 1st 03.08.2026 6นาที

  Join us at the Annual Culture and Leadership Conference. We're in Melbourne August 25th, Sydney September 1st. Registration is free - secure your spot today! https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/2026-conference/
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  258 LSI Debrief Questions: How to Deliver Better Life Styles Inventory Coaching Conversations 27.07.2026 29นาที

  A great LSI debrief is about far more than explaining a report—it's about helping people discover meaningful insights that lead to lasting behavioural change. In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley shares the coaching questions, mental models and practical frameworks he uses during Life Styles Inventory™ debriefs. He explores how to frame the conversation, interpret common profile patterns, bridge the gap between intent and impact, and coach with curiosity rather than diagnosis. Whether you're an accredited LSI practitioner, an executive coach or a leader interested in helping people grow, this episode offers practical ideas you can immediately apply to create richer, more impactful coaching conversations. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/lsi-debrief-questions/
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  257 Coaching Yourself: How to Get Out of Your Own Way 13.07.2026 25นาที

  Why is it so much easier to coach other people than it is to coach ourselves? When a friend or colleague comes to us with a problem, we can often see the situation clearly, ask thoughtful questions, and help them find a constructive way forward. But when we're facing our own challenges, emotion and assumptions can cloud our thinking, making it difficult to separate the facts from the story we're telling ourselves. In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic explores the art of self-coaching and shares practical ways to create the perspective needed to respond rather than react. Drawing on Human Synergistics' Situation + Thinking = Response (S + T = R) model, he explains how shifting your point of view, your timeframe, or your perspective can help you make better decisions, navigate difficult conversations, and lead yourself more effectively. Whether you're managing conflict, feeling overwhelmed, or simply caught in a loop of overthinking, this episode provides simple coaching questions you can use immediately to gain clarity and choose a more constructive path forward. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/coaching-yourself-how-to-get-out-of-your-own-way/
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  256 Delegation Tree – How to Build Ownership Without Losing Clarity 14.06.2026 20นาที

  Do you ever wish your team would take more ownership, but every decision still seems to come back to you? In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores why delegation often breaks down — and why the problem is usually clarity, not initiative. Dominic introduces the Delegation Tree, a simple framework that helps leaders define which decisions team members can make independently, which ones they should communicate afterwards, which ones require consultation, and which decisions should stay with the leader. You’ll also hear how to tame the “advice monster”, avoid rescuing too early, and delegate in a way that builds confidence, capability and accountability. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/delegation-tree-how-to-build-ownership-without-losing-clarity/
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  255 - Affiliative Culture – How to Build a Team That Has Each Other’s Backs 26.05.2026 32นาที

  What is an affiliative culture, and why does it matter so much for teamwork and performance? In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores affiliative culture as part of the Human Synergistics Circumplex series. He unpacks how trust, inclusion and genuine relationships shape high-performing teams, why affiliative cultures are often misunderstood as simply “being nice,” and how strong relationships enable better collaboration, communication and problem-solving. Dominic also shares practical ways leaders can strengthen belonging, improve onboarding, encourage respectful disagreement and create workplaces where people genuinely feel like they have each other’s backs. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/affiliative-culture-how-to-build-a-team-that-has-each-others-backs/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  254 Humanistic-Encouraging Culture - How to Create a Culture That Helps People Grow 10.05.2026 16นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores self-actualising cultures—work environments that foster creativity, curiosity and personal growth. Learn what sets this culture apart, how it drives innovation and engagement, and the practical steps leaders can take to create a workplace where people feel safe to experiment, share ideas, and reach their full potential. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/?p=15366&preview=true Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  253 Self-Actualising Culture – How to Build a Workplace That Unlocks Creativity, Growth and Innovation 28.04.2026 17นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores self-actualising cultures—work environments that foster creativity, curiosity and personal growth. Learn what sets this culture apart, how it drives innovation and engagement, and the practical steps leaders can take to create a workplace where people feel safe to experiment, share ideas, and reach their full potential. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/self-actualising-culture-how-to-build-a-workplace-that-unlocks-creativity-growth-and-innovation/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  252 Achievement Culture – How to Build Excellence, Initiative, and Ownership 12.04.2026 31นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores what defines an achievement culture and why it is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable high performance. He unpacks how achievement cultures differ from perfectionistic and competitive cultures, what they look like in practice, and how clarity, empowerment, effective job design and supportive leadership help people pursue excellence, take initiative and stay focused on the big win. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/achievement-culture-driving-excellence-without-perfection/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  251 Perfectionistic Culture – When Looking Perfect Gets in the Way of Performance 31.03.2026 15นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores perfectionistic culture — where the focus on appearing flawless can undermine performance, learning and results. He shares practical insights on shifting toward a more constructive, achievement-focused culture. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/perfectionistic-culture-when-looking-perfect-gets-in-the-way-of-performance/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  250 Competitive Culture – When Internal Rivalry Drives Performance (and Undermines It) 17.03.2026 15นาที

  What happens when competition inside your organisation becomes more important than competing in the market? In this episode, Dominic Gourley breaks down what a competitive culture really looks like, why it often feels productive (but isn’t), and how it can undermine teamwork, trust, and long-term performance. He also explores the leadership behaviours and systems that drive internal competition — and what you can do to shift towards a more aligned, collaborative culture. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/competitive-culture-when-internal-rivalry-drives-performance-and-undermines-it/?preview_id=14645&preview_nonce=2d14c414dd&post_format=standard&_thumbnail_id=-1&preview=true Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  249 Power Culture - When Control, Status and Authority Drive Performance (and Undermine It) 03.03.2026 18นาที

  What happens when control, status and authority dominate the way an organisation operates? In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley continues the series on organisational culture by unpacking Power Culture - a style characterised by centralised decision-making, hierarchy, internal politics and leadership driven by formal authority rather than influence. Dominic explores how Power cultures show up in practice: decisions made by rank over expertise, leaders becoming bottlenecks, silos forming between teams, and energy being spent on internal turf wars instead of marketplace performance. While this style can deliver short-term results, it often leads to volatile performance, reduced engagement, information being withheld, and compliance without true commitment. He also examines what drives a Power culture - from leadership beliefs and reward structures to job insecurity and overreliance on positional authority - and outlines practical steps leaders can take to shift toward a more constructive, sustainable culture. If you’ve ever worked in an organisation where decisions always go “up the chain,” where politics shape outcomes, or where control feels more important than collaboration, this episode will help you understand why - and what to do about it. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/power-culture-when-control-status-and-authority-drive-performance-and-undermine-it/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  248 Oppositional Culture - When Challenge Turns Defensive 15.02.2026 18นาที

  What happens when challenge turns into constant criticism? In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores oppositional culture — a workplace dynamic where fault-finding, defensiveness, and debate become the norm. While healthy challenge is essential for performance, oppositional cultures take it too far. Ideas are quickly picked apart, meetings become battlegrounds, and people earn influence by being the sharpest critic in the room. Over time, this leads to reduced motivation, slower change, safe (and often mediocre) decisions, and even strained customer relationships. If you’re leading through defensiveness or navigating a culture where every idea gets shot down, this episode will help you understand what’s really happening and what to do about it. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/oppositional-culture-when-challenge-turns-defensive/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  247 Avoidance Culture - When Playing It Safe Kills Performance 09.02.2026 15นาที

  Avoidance culture thrives on fear, silence, and playing it safe. In this episode, Dominic Gourley unpacks how avoidance culture shows up at work, why it damages performance, and what leaders can do to create ownership, learning, and accountability instead. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/avoidance-culture-when-playing-it-safe-kills-performance/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  246 - Dependent Culture - When Everything Has to Go Up the Chain 02.02.2026 12นาที

  In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley unpacks dependent culture — where decision-making is centralised, initiative is discouraged, and progress slows to a crawl. Learn how dependent cultures form, the impact they have on motivation and performance, and what leaders can do to build empowerment and achievement instead. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/dependent-culture-when-everything-has-to-go-up-the-chain/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  245 - Conventional Culture - When Rules Replace Thinking 26.01.2026 13นาที

  We unpack what a conventional culture looks like in practice, how it can support stability and consistency, and where it begins to create risk, stifle innovation, and limit performance. Through real-world examples - from warehouses to hospitals - we highlight the dangers of rigid rule-following without clear understanding of purpose, and share practical ways leaders can shift their teams from compliance to ownership. See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/conventional-culture-when-rules-replace-thinking/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulting/strategy-and-culture-consulting-solutions/
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  244 - Approval Culture - What is it, what causes it, what you can do 11.01.2026 9นาที

  “Everyone agreed... but nothing happened” - Dominic breaks down the signs, impacts, and causes of an Approval Culture, plus practical leadership shifts to invite dissent, clarify standards, and improve execution. Show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/approval-culture-what-it-is-what-causes-it-and-what-you-can-do/ Learn more about our Culture Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/consulting-solutions/culture-and-strategy-consulting-solutions/