Turning Talk into Change: How to shape a high performance culture that sticks
Most organisations don’t lack ambition when it comes to culture change. But good intentions alone won’t get you there.
Too often, change efforts begin with inspiring words but stall when the underlying systems stay the same. Leadership says one thing, but performance reviews, incentives, and decision-making processes still reward the old way of working.
.png)
Author: Helen Kewell & Clare Jolly
The result is often a growing disconnect between what’s promised and what people actually experience. Over time, ambition gives way to inertia, and culture quietly stalls.
Yet this isn’t inevitable. Lasting change happens not through louder messaging, but through smarter design, reshaping the systems, signals, and everyday norms that guide how people work.
This article explores the practical, structural levers that drive sustainable transformation, without losing what matters most. Drawing on real-world case studies from organisations like Meta, Amazon, Wells Fargo and Volkswagen, we unpack the mistakes to avoid, and the moves that really make a difference.
Read ‘Turning Talk into Change’ for actionable insights on how to:
• Identify when culture change is stalling - and why it happens
• Use diagnostics to uncover hidden blockers across teams and departments
• Replace vague values with practical ‘Goldilocks Behaviours’ that stick
• Align systems, incentives, and decision rights to reinforce new behaviours
• Harness AI as a culture accelerant, not just an efficiency tool
Change doesn’t happen through messaging alone. It happens when your systems, structures and signals support the behaviour you want to see.
Don’t settle for surface-level change. Download the article and find out how to build a culture that performs.
About the Authors
Helen Kewell is a Client Partner at Muuto, with over 25 years' experience in managing transformation across diverse industries and always through the human lens, driving behaviour and culture change as well as enabling new capabilities and mindsets. She is also a qualified and practising psychotherapist with a specialisation in the psychology of life transitions, and a published author on the same topic.
Clare Jolly is an Engagement Manager at Muuto, bringing over 30 years of experience to the table. Clare is a powerhouse in delivering culture transformation across diverse markets, geographies, and industries. Having tackled complex transformation from both in-house and consultant vantage points, her rich expertise informs her sensitive understanding of unique transformation challenges and the contexts from which they arise. Known for her sharp strategic insight and pragmatic approach, Clare turns big ideas into action, breaking down barriers and building bridges.