Designing Culture for Business Performance

ChapmanCG was proud to partner with EnergyAustralia and We Are Unity to host the 2025 Melbourne chapter of our HR Leader Discussion Forums. The topic, Designing Culture for Business Performance, was brought to life through the latest performance insights from Ben Bars, the CEO of business improvement agency, We Are Unity and our host Anna Mealings, Chief People Office at EnergyAustralia.

HR Leaders from ANZ, Aurecon, Barry Callebaut, BP, Coles, CSL, Healthscope, Lottery Corporation, Mondelēz, National Australia Bank, Philip Morris, SEEK, Ventia and Wilson Group amongst others were in attendance for this lively session led by Ben Bars.

Rethinking Traditional Approaches to Culture

Today, market analysts and investors are increasingly assessing all signals of company culture as part of their evaluation process. Culture is no longer a ‘soft’ consideration but a key driver of strategic execution and commercial success. Unique research by the data and behavioural science team at We Are Unity, has proven that companies with strong performance cultures outperform the S&P / ASX200 ROE benchmark by 29%.

A key challenge in driving performance has been an over-reliance on employee engagement as a proxy for an effective culture. Whilst engagement metrics can reflect employee sentiment, an overweighted focus on score chasing can create conditions where employees are encouraged to protect and prioritise their relationships with each other over the interests of the business. This often leads organisations to being described as having a “nice culture,” but where tough conversations, effective prioritisation and decision-making are impacted.

When designing and measuring culture it is important to include the impact on all key stakeholders, such as investors, regulators, suppliers and customers, not just employees.

Are we designing the cultural conditions required to deliver on our commitment to share/stakeholders?
Ben Bars, CEO, We Are Unity

Many high performing organisations are now moving beyond traditional forms of employee measurement. Engagement surveys that focus on the drivers of turnover are being re-shaped to focus on the drivers of employee effectiveness. Organisations are also now moving to analyse real communication patterns and leader/employee behaviour via data from email, calendars and meeting transcripts. The insights from this data are ultimately helping businesses to ensure their employees’ behaviour is aligned with the business’ strategic commitments.

Performance Culture in Times of Transformation

Significant change and transformation compels organisations to radically rethink ways of working. This culture journey involves helping people understand the need for change and seeing themselves as part of a system they can influence.

Resistance to change often comes from the fear of losing something that has historically served someone well.
Anna Mealings, Chief People Office at EnergyAustralia

Successful change management involves creating conditions where leaders and employees can work through that tension. Asking people to commit to one experiment they can try can be a simple yet effective act of agency to help foster a mindset of curiosity and progress change.

Conclusion

Culture is no longer an intangible part of organisational life. It is a strategic asset and a competitive edge that must be designed, measured and nurtured in the context of the business strategy. As organisations grapple with transformation, performance pressures, and rising stakeholder expectations, HR has a powerful role to play in shaping a culture that drives the right results.