The pleasures and pitfalls of culture theatre

09 Oct The pleasures and pitfalls of culture theatre

Reading Time: 2 minutes

First used in Bruce Schneier’s book Beyond Fear, “security theatre” means implementing measures that provide a veneer of security but do little or nothing to deliver it. 

Enter culture theatre. An activity that makes a splash or delivers a high while doing nothing meaningful to change how people do things.

Genuine values are how you do things, and culture is those things done on repeat in people’s everyday activities and propelled by their coming into and exiting the organisation. Which adds or erodes the value stored in the brand.

Culture theatre’s heyday was during the first dot com boom. There’s no figure to find, but for grins, let’s say organisations splashed out billions of investor capital on snazzy office fit-outs, side benefits galore with an exuberant absence of discipline. Those so-called fun cultures masqueraded as successful companies. But most had more in common with the ‘emperor’s new clothes’ than empires in the making.

Lately, as organisations try to offset the allure of remote work and lure those staff back to the office, culture theatre is making a comeback. Some companies are offering kombucha on tap and free food. Even a virtual golf course and tennis lessons. 

Leaving aside that remote work is only an option for a privileged 30% of the total workforce. Even people in organisations without that thorny issue can get seduced into thinking new lipstick is all that’s needed to fix a crappy score in the last engagement survey.

The problem. It’s unlikely to work. Not long-term. A few perky office extras might provide a short-term pop. But they’re no proxy for the hard yards of building a solid foundation of how you do things. For crafting an environment where you challenge me to do my best work and ensure I know how my work contributes to something meaningful. I don’t need to save the world; I just want to know how my efforts play a worthwhile part in the overall endeavour. Whatever that is.

Think of culture theatre as fast food for organisations. And it’s the wrong diet if you want people’s sustained enthusiasm. Fat and sugar-laden food light up those pleasure centres in our brains. But not long after, there’s a food coma to contend with, and the craving for more kicks in. Then, before you know it, you’re addicted to chasing those highs instead of pursuing how to improve how people can work together better.

Instead of a splashy launch, celebrate small wins every day. Instead of catering lunch for team events, set up a comfortable space for people to meet and eat together. Instead of a weighty plan for changing people’s behaviour, invest in tools or resources that free up their ‘energy’ to do things differently.

Theatre perks aren’t always wrong. But their impact depends on what you show you care about and what else is happening. If the swanky new coffee machine sits on a counter crowded with bogus values and poorly set and unmet expectations. Then, it’s unlikely to change how people feel and behave long-term.

Culture is a pilgrimage, not a monolith. No single event, initiative or perk will make someone suddenly step up or step out. It’s hundreds of good and bad things. So the next time you’re trying to shape the pilgrimage, ask yourself, “Will this change anything meaningful, or is it culture theatre?”

Thanks for reading.