Norms without consequences are hopes

Every organisation has cultural norms i.e. the way that things get done. Many of them are ignored.

Not necessarily because people are being difficult or are disengaged, but because nobody ever said there'd be a consequence for ignoring them. And if there's no consequence, there's no norm. There's just a hope.

For example, consider someone who consistently talks over colleagues in meetings, dismisses feedback, or ignores agreed ways of working. If nothing is said, the real norm becomes clear: this behaviour is acceptable here. That message travels fast and the unofficial norm of disrespectful behaviour starts to embed elsewhere.

Consequences don't have to mean punishment. They can be a conversation, an opportunity for coaching, or a public acknowledgement when someone does get it right. But something has to happen.

As I’ve said many times, culture isn't what's written on the walls. It's what leaders and fellow employees respond to, reinforce, and refuse to let slide.

If your norms have no teeth, don't be surprised when nobody takes them seriously.