“Work Culture” Is Just a Dress Code for Loyalty
Most companies don’t build culture.
They install retention systems.
Equity cliffs.
Healthcare lock-in.
Visa dependencies.
These aren’t values. They’re velvet handcuffs.
You’re not “aligned”—you’re entangled.
And when survival is at stake, most people stop telling the truth.
They withhold. They perform. They disappear into compliance.
Then leadership points to low attrition and says:
“See? The culture’s working.”
But tenure isn’t proof of belief.
It’s often just proof of trapped talent.
Culture isn’t what keeps people here.
It’s what they do when they’re free to leave.
So ask:
Would they challenge decisions if dissent didn’t cost them?
Would they still be here if their benefits weren’t?
Would they still speak up if gratitude weren’t weaponized?
If not, what you’ve built isn’t culture.
It’s custodianship.
If you’re an IC:
Ignore the murals. Watch the micro-behaviors.
Trust what gets rewarded.
Avoid what gets punished.
If you’re a lead:
Don’t quote values. Run a trust audit.
How many people can say no without fear?
If you’re in power:
Rethink the metrics.
Retention isn’t loyalty.
Silence isn’t agreement.
Alignment isn’t belief.
Prompt:
What would your team say if they didn’t have to calculate the cost of honesty?
If you can’t answer that—you don’t need a culture deck.
You need a new system.