10 Worst Ways To Build Company Culture And Many Companies Are Still Using Them

I’ve never admitted this before:

I made some of these mistakes when I started my leadership journey.

I learned my lessons long ago.

We built our company culture, and I do everything I can to keep it healthy.

But many companies are still making the same mistakes when it comes to culture.

📌 Here are the 10 worst ways to build Company Culture:

1. Pizza Fridays as a fix for burnout.
2. Pushing the “family” rhetoric.
3. Asking for non-anonymous feedback.
4. Micromanaging under the guise of “care”.
5. Big promises with no follow-through.
6. Giving praise without genuine recognition.
7. Underpaying while overpromising “growth”.
8. Forcing employees into social events.
9. Assuming “everyone loves competition”.
10. Confusing perks with culture.

Let’s aim for real, meaningful culture — not just superficial fixes.

If we want to retain top talent,
we must invest in building a culture that matters.

What steps are you taking to avoid these common pitfalls?