Good Culture and Equity: How I See It

More and more, I’m seeing my work as culture work. Not culture as a set of values posted on a wall, but culture as the living environment that shapes how people feel, act, lead, and belong. Recently, I attended a webinar on equity and inclusion practices where the panelists spoke about the mindset shifts required to cultivate, integrate, and sustain meaningful equity efforts. Their insights echoed something I’ve witnessed: sustained equity work doesn’t begin with a program or policy, it begins with individuals willing to learn, unlearn, and act differently, and ultimately requiring collective willingness to shift culture and behaviors.

As I reflected on the webinar, I found myself returning to the work of organizational culture leaders such as Edgar Schein and Amy Edmondson. Schein’s research teaches us that culture is not a fixed asset but a dynamic set of shared assumptions expressed through daily actions, decisions, and norms. Edmondson’s work on psychological safety adds another essential layer, highlighting how cultures that support learning, voice, and trust create the conditions for equity and growth. Drawing from their work, and from the leaders I’ve supported, I’ve been refining my own understanding of what a ‘Good Culture’ truly means.

Here is the definition I am currently working with:

A Good Culture is a living practice, rooted in learning, shaped by people, guided by equity, and sustained through accountability. It is an environment where people, practices, and systems continually evolve toward greater equity, inclusion, and shared purpose. A Good Culture reflects an ongoing commitment to:

• Learning and reflexive practice: staying open and willing to learn and grow

• Creating space for meaningful contribution: ensuring everyone can share their experiences, strengths, and ideas

• Embedding equity into everyday decisions, processes, and routines: deepening equity skills and day-to-day integration 

• Practicing accountability: staying aligned with goals, tracking progress and adapting as needed

Both Schein and Edmondson remind us that organizations succeed when people can bring their full selves, full thinking, and full voice to the work. When we invest in cultivating Good Culture, we invest in the conditions that make effectiveness, inclusion, innovation and impact sustainable. This is the direction my work continues to focus on: supporting leaders, boards, and teams in cultivating cultures that not only work, but work for everyone.

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Chanel Grenaway & Associates Inc. is committed to helping leaders, staff teams and boards align with their anti-racism and inclusion goals through continuous learning and practice change. Do you need support to start or accelerate your equity practice and outcomes? Happy to hop on a call with you to see how I might help. Let’s chat.