Rethinking Corporate Culture: It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

Let’s be honest: corporate culture isn’t all bad. Plenty of people have stability, benefits, and a steady paycheck because of it. But when a human spends 40+ hours a week, for 40+ weeks a year, inside one system… that system needs to work for them. Too often, it doesn’t. From outdated 9–5 schedules to back-to-back meetings and fear-based team dynamics, the culture inside many companies feels awkward, impersonal, and out of sync with how people actually work best. If we want to prevent burnout and build environments where people thrive, it’s time to change.

Thought Starters:

• Rethink the 9–5. Humans aren’t built for rigid hours; they’re built to live life. Let people work when they’re most effective, as long as the work gets done.
• Be honest about workload. If your team doesn’t have the bandwidth, don’t take the project. Stretching people thin for the same pay is the way to high turnover. Not all business is good business. 
• Redesign meetings. Don’t meet just to meet. Reserve time for real collaboration, not to talk about all the work that needs to be done.
• Create a culture of psychological safety. People should feel safe saying “I don’t know” or asking for help without fear of judgment. This, in the end will help to get the work done quicker and have employees feeling comfortable. 
• Let go of being “busy”. More hours don’t mean more value. Track progress by outcomes, not who logs the most screen time.
• Value rest and balance. Burnout isn’t on the individual; it’s on the company. Build systems and structures that prevent it. And no, 2 weeks of vacation time doesn’t count as a solution. 

The future of work isn’t just working from home; it’s human. And it starts by questioning the things we’ve blindly accepted for too long.