The importance of micro-experiences
Workplace culture isn't created through grand gestures or value statements on the wall, it's built daily through what I call "micro-experiences." Those small, momentary interactions between you and your fellow employees form the true foundation of how people experience your organisation's culture.
Micro-experiences are the seemingly insignificant moments that occur countless times throughout the workday: a manager acknowledging good work, colleagues collaborating on solving a problem, how people communicate in messages, or how feedback is delivered in a team meeting. These brief encounters may last only seconds, but their cumulative impact profoundly shapes how you feel about your workplace.
The importance of micro-experiences cannot be overstated. When consistent and positive, they create an environment where people feel valued, respected and motivated. When negative or inconsistent, they erode trust and engagement regardless of what official culture documents (or the ‘Our Culture’ page on your website) might proclaim.
What makes micro-experiences particularly powerful is their authenticity. People instinctively recognise when actions align with stated values or not. For example a leader who proudly displays the company value of ‘Respect’ but consistently interrupts team members creates a negative micro-experience that undermines cultural aspirations.
Whenever I start working with a new client to transform their workplace culture, I start by understanding the daily interactions. Through the micro-experiences I’m able to uncover what working life is really like for the people employed there.
We can then train managers on how to recognise their behaviours; how they greet team members, respond to questions, or handle disagreements, all of which directly contribute to the shaping of culture.
If you encourage everyone to become aware of how their actions, however small, contribute to the collective experience you start to improve the micro-experiences and create space for new - more positive and productive ones - to emerge.
