Culture by Design - Organisational Assessment
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1. When something goes wrong in your organisation, what is the typical response?
A – find out who is to blame and tighten the rules
B – review the process and create a stricter policy
C – talk it out within your trusted team, quietly
D – openly debrief, share learnings, and move forward
E – reflect on alignment with values and mission
F – explore how the issue reveals a deeper systemic shift
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2. How are decisions usually made in your organisation?
A – Top-down leaders decide, others follow
B – based on procedure, precedent and protocol
C – decisions are made by the core group or insiders
D – everyone has a voice, leaders listen actively
E – decisions are filtered through purpose and values
F – decisions emerge through shared dialogue and collective insight
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3. How safe do people feel to show up authentically?
A – not at all – professionalism is prioritised over personal expression
B-only if they follow the unspoken rules
C-safe, but only within familiar circles
D-generally safe, authenticity is encouraged
E-very safe, self-expression is seen as a strength
F-completely safe, wholeness is expected and celebrated
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4. How would you describe your organisation’s approach to change?
A- Fearful, change is a threat
B- Cautious, change is tolerated if well managed
C- Selective, change is ok if it doesn’t upset the group
D- Open – change is part of how we grow
E- Intentional – change is guided by purpose
F- Regenerative – change is part of our nature
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5. What does leadership look like in your culture?
A- Control, authority and command
B- expertise, structure and accountability
C- loyalty, influence and visibility
D- inspiration, support and collaboration
E- vision, integrity and alignment
F- stewardship, intuition and shared responsibility
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6. What does success mean in your organisation?
A- Power, productivity and profit
B- Stability, consistency and order
C- Recognition, influence and belonging
D- Growth, fulfillment and innovation
E- Impact, alignment and integrity
F- Harmony, healing and transformation
Culture by Design is:
the spiral dynamic of moving from fear-based cultures to love based cultures
·moving from rigidity to fluidity
from control to co-creation
from separation to interconnectedness
mechanistic to intuitive and regenerative systems
If you answered mainly:
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Scenario: You operate like a fortress. Rules, hierarchy and control are the foundation. Performance matters more than people, and fear keeps the wheels turning. Leadership is about power, not partnership. But beneath the surface, something is cracking.
Essence: rooted in scarcity, dominance and rigid hierarchy
Cultural Traits: top-down structures, fear-based compliance, suppression of individuality, micromanagement, compliance driven, reactive firefighting, toxic politics, siloed departments
Leadership Mindset: Shadow of the Patriarchy - I must control everything to keep us safe
Team Impact: High stress and burnout, disengagement, low trust, high turnover
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Scenario: You seek safety through structure. You follow the manual, stick to the known, and avoid risk. Change is uncomfortable. Innovation feels threatening. The system works – but only if everyone follows it.
Essence: stability through sameness
Cultural Traits: risk averse, clinging to what worked before, blame culture, heavy reliance on policies, minimal transparency, lack of psychological safety
Leadership Mindset: Legacy System Influence - Don’t rock the boat. Fit in or get out.
Team Impact: fear of failure, moderate engagement, minimal innovation, resistance to change, stagnant growth
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Scenario: You value connection, but it comes with conditions. There’s a “right way” to fit in. Diversity may be present, but authenticity is limited. People perform their roles – but not always as their full selves.
Essence: seeking connection through conditional belonging
Cultural Traits: “Us vs Them” mentalities, In group dynamics, performance-based worth, surface-level collaboration, internal competition masked as teamwork
Leadership Mindset/Transitional Voice: “We support you – if you stay within the lines”
Team Impact: Some loyalty, but underlying fear of exclusion or being found out, masked authenticity, moderate trust
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Scenario: You are beginning to unlock the power of human potential. Individual voices are welcomed. Creativity flow. Leadership becomes more distributed. The old rules are loosening, and something alive is emerging.
Essence: individuals as sovereign, creative contributors Archetype: Creator or River
Cultural Traits: encouragement of self-expression, open dialogue, strengths-based and decentralised leadership, human centric design
Leadership Mindset: Your voice matters; your work makes a difference
Team Impact: Growing trust, increased innovation, authentic collaboration, resilience, higher fulfillment
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Scenario: You are mission-led, values-driven, and guided by more than just metrics. Intuition is a valid form of intelligence. The organisation feels alive – with heart and soul. Work becomes sacred.
Essence: the org is a living organism with a shared soul Archetype: Oracle or Compass
Cultural Traits: Mission led, purpose anchored, integrity-centred decision making, heart and intuition welcomed, emotionally intelligent leadership, collective purpose
Leadership Mindset/New Paradigm Leadership: We thrive by aligning with who we truly are
Team Impact: Deep engagement, ownership, collaborative leadership, resilience
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Scenario: You are stewards, not owners. Your culture is built on reciprocity – with people, planet and purpose. Leadership is circular. Wholeness is honoured. Your organisation is not just a company, it’s a movement.
Essence: Wholeness, co-creation and interdependence
Cultural Traits: Flat power structures, distributed authority, sacred reciprocity (give and receive), planetary and social responsibility baked in every layer
Leadership Mindset/Post Hierarchical Paradigm: “We aren’t just building an organisation – we are evolving consciousness.”
Team Impact: Psychological safety, expansive creativity, transformation becomes culture