Culture Bites
Culture Bites explores how culture theory can be applied to everyday work life. It is produced by Human Synergistics, a consulting, research, and diagnostics firm. The show draws on tools such as the Lifestyles Inventory, Management/Leadership Impact, Group Styles Inventory, and Organizational Culture Inventory. Senior consultants share practical tips and insights from their experience in organizational development.
Episodes
263 - Can you be "too Constructive"?
We explore what people often really mean when they worry about being “too Constructive”: 'Supportive' can tip into avoiding difficult conversations, 'High standards' can become perfectionism.
We explore why Constructive isn’t always nice, why strong relationships should be able to handle disagreement, how to balance support with accountability. Being Constructive isn’t necessarily easy. It’s chal
262 - Culture is Cause and Effect: How to Change the Causes to Change the Results
Culture doesn’t happen by accident.
The systems, structures, measures and leadership behaviours inside an organisation are constantly sending people messages about what is really expected — and those messages become culture.
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores the Human Synergistics How Culture Works model and explains why lasting culture change requires leaders to look be
261 How To: Make Decisive Decisions
What does it really mean to be decisive?
It doesn’t always mean making one big call and committing everything. Sometimes the better approach is to make a smaller decision, take the next useful step, learn something and decide again.
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley continues the Leader’s Toolbox series by exploring a more practical approach to decisive decision making.
Dominic
260 How To: Give Better Feedback with SBI
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley adds another practical tool to the Leader’s Toolbox: SBI – Situation, Behaviour, Impact.
Dominic explores how leaders can give feedback that is specific, constructive and more likely to create learning rather than defensiveness. He explains why good feedback starts before the conversation, how relationships and intent shape the way feedback is rec
259 How To: After Action Review (Grow Achievement)
What if one of the most powerful leadership tools only took five minutes?
In this episode, you'll discover the four simple questions that can transform the way you reflect on meetings, presentations, client conversations, projects and even your own leadership.
We also explore:
Why life is training... if you're paying attention
The difference between Achievement and Perfectionistic thinking
Ho
Conference 2026 - MEL Aug 25th, SYD Sept 1st
Join us at the Annual Culture and Leadership Conference. We're in Melbourne August 25th, Sydney September 1st. Registration is free - secure your spot today! https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/2026-conference/
258 LSI Debrief Questions: How to Deliver Better Life Styles Inventory Coaching Conversations
A great LSI debrief is about far more than explaining a report—it's about helping people discover meaningful insights that lead to lasting behavioural change.
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley shares the coaching questions, mental models and practical frameworks he uses during Life Styles Inventory™ debriefs. He explores how to frame the conversation, interpret common profile patt
257 Coaching Yourself: How to Get Out of Your Own Way
Why is it so much easier to coach other people than it is to coach ourselves?
When a friend or colleague comes to us with a problem, we can often see the situation clearly, ask thoughtful questions, and help them find a constructive way forward. But when we're facing our own challenges, emotion and assumptions can cloud our thinking, making it difficult to separate the facts from the story we're
256 Delegation Tree – How to Build Ownership Without Losing Clarity
Do you ever wish your team would take more ownership, but every decision still seems to come back to you?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores why delegation often breaks down — and why the problem is usually clarity, not initiative.
Dominic introduces the Delegation Tree, a simple framework that helps leaders define which decisions team members can make independently, whic
255 - Affiliative Culture – How to Build a Team That Has Each Other’s Backs
What is an affiliative culture, and why does it matter so much for teamwork and performance?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores affiliative culture as part of the Human Synergistics Circumplex series. He unpacks how trust, inclusion and genuine relationships shape high-performing teams, why affiliative cultures are often misunderstood as simply “being nice,” and how strong
254 Humanistic-Encouraging Culture - How to Create a Culture That Helps People Grow
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores self-actualising cultures—work environments that foster creativity, curiosity and personal growth.
Learn what sets this culture apart, how it drives innovation and engagement, and the practical steps leaders can take to create a workplace where people feel safe to experiment, share ideas, and reach their full potential.
See full show not
253 Self-Actualising Culture – How to Build a Workplace That Unlocks Creativity, Growth and Innovation
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores self-actualising cultures—work environments that foster creativity, curiosity and personal growth.
Learn what sets this culture apart, how it drives innovation and engagement, and the practical steps leaders can take to create a workplace where people feel safe to experiment, share ideas, and reach their full potential.
See full show not
252 Achievement Culture – How to Build Excellence, Initiative, and Ownership
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores what defines an achievement culture and why it is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable high performance. He unpacks how achievement cultures differ from perfectionistic and competitive cultures, what they look like in practice, and how clarity, empowerment, effective job design and supportive leadership help people pursue excellence
251 Perfectionistic Culture – When Looking Perfect Gets in the Way of Performance
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores perfectionistic culture — where the focus on appearing flawless can undermine performance, learning and results. He shares practical insights on shifting toward a more constructive, achievement-focused culture.
See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/perfectionistic-culture-when-looking-p
250 Competitive Culture – When Internal Rivalry Drives Performance (and Undermines It)
What happens when competition inside your organisation becomes more important than competing in the market?
In this episode, Dominic Gourley breaks down what a competitive culture really looks like, why it often feels productive (but isn’t), and how it can undermine teamwork, trust, and long-term performance.
He also explores the leadership behaviours and systems that drive internal competition
249 Power Culture - When Control, Status and Authority Drive Performance (and Undermine It)
What happens when control, status and authority dominate the way an organisation operates?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley continues the series on organisational culture by unpacking Power Culture - a style characterised by centralised decision-making, hierarchy, internal politics and leadership driven by formal authority rather than influence.
Dominic explores how Power cultur
248 Oppositional Culture - When Challenge Turns Defensive
What happens when challenge turns into constant criticism?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley explores oppositional culture — a workplace dynamic where fault-finding, defensiveness, and debate become the norm. While healthy challenge is essential for performance, oppositional cultures take it too far. Ideas are quickly picked apart, meetings become battlegrounds, and people earn in
247 Avoidance Culture - When Playing It Safe Kills Performance
Avoidance culture thrives on fear, silence, and playing it safe. In this episode, Dominic Gourley unpacks how avoidance culture shows up at work, why it damages performance, and what leaders can do to create ownership, learning, and accountability instead.
See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/avoidance-culture-when-playing-it-safe-kills-perfor
246 - Dependent Culture - When Everything Has to Go Up the Chain
In this episode of Culture Bites, Dominic Gourley unpacks dependent culture — where decision-making is centralised, initiative is discouraged, and progress slows to a crawl. Learn how dependent cultures form, the impact they have on motivation and performance, and what leaders can do to build empowerment and achievement instead.
See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resource
245 - Conventional Culture - When Rules Replace Thinking
We unpack what a conventional culture looks like in practice, how it can support stability and consistency, and where it begins to create risk, stifle innovation, and limit performance. Through real-world examples - from warehouses to hospitals - we highlight the dangers of rigid rule-following without clear understanding of purpose, and share practical ways leaders can shift their teams from comp
244 - Approval Culture - What is it, what causes it, what you can do
“Everyone agreed... but nothing happened” - Dominic breaks down the signs, impacts, and causes of an Approval Culture, plus practical leadership shifts to invite dissent, clarify standards, and improve execution.
Show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/approval-culture-what-it-is-what-causes-it-and-what-you-can-do/
Learn more about our Culture Consultin
243 - Culture Doesn't have to be complex
Culture often feels noisy and complex, but it doesn’t have to be. Dominic Gourley and Ash Smith unpack a simple way to think about culture using four clear buckets - ideal culture, actual culture, what sits between them, and the outcomes - and explain how one or two well-chosen actions in how you already work can drive meaningful cultural change.
See full show notes: https://www.human-synergistic
242 - Rules, Approval & Avoidance The Payoffs—and Better Alternatives (With Ash Smith)
Why we seek approval and follow rules - even when they don’t serve us. Dominic and Ash explore Approval, Conventional, Dependent and Avoidance styles, their payoffs and costs, and the Constructive alternatives that work better.
241 - AI and Culture (Is yours ready?)
AI is here — but how ready is your culture? Dominic Gourley special guest 'Charlie Turing' explore how AI will reshape culture, why constructive organisations thrive with it, and how leaders can keep humans at the heart of the AI revolution.
Show notes: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/ai-and-culture-is-yours-ready-culture-bites-241/
Join the Conversation for
240 - Explaining the Circumplex
Dominic shares his tips no how to go about explaining the Circumplex to an individual or a group. He shares the pattern he uses and the key points he is trying to land.
Learn more about the Human Synergistics Circumplex here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/about-us/the-circumplex/
Did you know we've just released a new LSI Digital Platform? Check it out: https://www.human-synergistics.co
239 - LSI Digital - Announcement
LSI Digital is coming soon: An interactive online interface that makes the power of the LSI more engaging, accessible, and actionable than ever before. Learn more about what to expect in this episode.
Learn more here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/lsi-digital/
238 - Satisfaction vs Security - explaining what it is and why it matters
We break down the core Circumplex orientation - Satisfaction (growth) vs Security (protection). Learn how state of mind drives behavior, why confidence is quiet, and practical ways to shift from defensiveness to growth.
View the full show notes here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-insights-blog/satisfaction-vs-security-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters-culture-bites-248/
Con
237 - Why Am I Like This - With Dr Jen Martin
Why do we think and behave the way we do? We speak with Dr Jen Martin - scientist, author, and communicator - about the fascinating science behind our habits of thought and behaviour. Drawing on her new book Why Am I Like This?, Jen explains the psychology behind impostor experiences, procrastination, multitasking, flow states, and more. Together, they connect these scientific insights to leadersh
236 - Leaders Must Go First
Culture doesn’t shift unless leaders do. In this episode, Dominic and Corinne dive into why leaders must go first in culture change - what that looks like in practice, why behaviour beats systems, and how leaders can make the implicit explicit. A must-listen for executives and team leaders navigating change.
See our Consulting Solutions: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/our-services/consulti
Join us at the conference in Sydney and Melbourne
Join us for a sneak peek into the 2025 Culture & Leadership Conferences in Sydney and Melbourne! In this episode, we preview the inspiring client stories and leadership insights you’ll hear - from transformation at David Jones, global perspectives from Marriott, leadership development at Lindt, to CEO strategy with Richard Harding. Plus, interactive sessions, big culture shifts, and plenty of comm
235 - Neurodiversity at Work: What Leaders & Coaches Need to Know
What does it really mean to be neurodiverse - and how should leaders and coaches respond? In this episode, Dominic is joined by clinical and organisational psychologist Dr Amanda Mullin to explore the realities (and myths) around ADHD, autism, anxiety, and more.
They unpack:
What the term "neurodiversity" actually includes
The difference between labels and lived experience
Common challenges ar
234 - How to receive feedback (even when it's clunky)
We all say we want feedback – but how good are we at receiving it?
In this episode, Dominic is joined by fellow consultant Ash Smith to unpack why receiving feedback can be so difficult, even for experienced leaders. They explore what triggers defensiveness, how to stay open (even when feedback is unexpected or poorly delivered), and why a true feedback culture depends just as much on how we rece
233 - Leadership Courage: How to Change the Culture When You Are the Culture
Changing culture sounds great - until it asks you to change. In this powerful conversation, Dominic Gourley and Ash Smith explore what it really takes for leaders to step up, lean into discomfort, and lead culture transformation from the front.
They unpack why it’s so hard to change the behaviours that once made us successful, why vulnerability doesn’t mean weakness, and how leaders can avoid bec
232 - It's Lonely at the Top with Justine Farrington
We unpack the hidden pressures CEOs and Executives face - and why strong leadership doesn’t have to mean going it alone. We share the small rituals and mindset shifts that can help leaders reconnect with purpose, support, and each other. From ego and armour to shared goals and enterprise thinking - this is a must-listen for anyone working with or within Executive teams.
231 - CEO's 5 Principles of Successful Culture Change with Richard Harding
In this episode of Culture Bites, host Dominic Gourley from Human Synergistics Australia is joined by Richard Harding, a seasoned executive and non-executive director with extensive leadership experience in both public and private insurance organisations across Australia and New Zealand. The conversation centres on Richard’s unique track record of turning around organisational culture and performa
230 - Giving Kids Back Their Independence with Lenore Skenazy
How do we raise confident, resilient kids in a culture that’s become obsessed with supervision? In this episode, Dominic Gourley is joined by Lenore Skenazy – author of Free-Range Kids and President of Let Grow – to explore why independence is crucial for childhood development.
They discuss why overprotection can backfire, how free play fosters leadership and creativity, and how building trust (n
229 - The sun comes up in the morning, live until you die, and the favourite doesn't always win - with Fiona Hogarth
How to put perspective on challenging situations which may seem overwhelming in the moment. Fiona Hogarth shares her tips.
228 - Sarah Derry, Homeward Bound CEO
Sarah is the CEO of Homeward Bound - and fresh back from Antarctica. Homeward Bound believe that supporting women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine), using the Life Styles Inventory, to significantly improve their clarity, confidence, shared vision and strategic capability, will enhance their opportunity to take up leadership roles globally, and to proactively contribu
227 - The Way We Work (New Report)
Workplace Trends: Key Insights from the Nation’s Wellbeing Report 2025. Join us as we explore the trends impacting employee wellbeing, job satisfaction, and organisational support. From CEO challenges to frontline leader stress, we break down the essential takeaways from the 2025 report. Download the report here: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/the-way-we-work-report-2025/
226 - Adaptive Leadership with Max Martina
Discover how Adaptive Leadership transforms organizations with Max Martina, focusing on key practices to empower teams, navigate complexity, and build a strong leadership culture.
See full show notes with key topics and insights: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resources/culture-bites-podcast/adaptive-leadership-with-max-martina-culture-bites-ep-226/
Learn more about Max Martina and Cambri
225 - Why should anyone be led by you
We explore the question, "Why should anyone be led by you?", discussing authenticity, adaptability, and community-building from the book by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones. Gain insights to reflect on your leadership style and inspire high-performing teams.
Learn more about what we do: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/
See Show Notes for this episode: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/resou
224 - Mandated Back to Office
A lot of organisations are mandating a return to the office. What are the pros and cons and what does it mean for culture? Ash Smith shares his views
032 - Blue Year's Resolutions [Re-release]
We'll be back in the new year. For now, enjoy this re-release of Blue Tear's Resolutions from our first year of Culture Bites. We wish everyone a happy new year! Thanks for supporting us!
Visit us at: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/
Follow us here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/human-synergistics-australia/
031 - Staying Constructive This Christmas [Re-release]
Merry Christmas! We'll be back in the new year with new episodes. We'd love to have more guests sharing their stories in the new year - so if you know someone with a great story to share, let us know.
Enjoy this re-release of our Christmas special from the very first year of Culture Bites!
Subscribe and review if you enjoy the podcast.
Visit us at: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/
Follo
223 - Inheriting an underperforming team
Fiona Hogarth shares her tips on what to do when inheriting a new team: Observe, understand the context, bring some enthusiasm, create clarity about what we're doing and why, keep in mind your peers and colleagues...
If you want to unlock performance, visit us at:
https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/
If you're a leader and what to share your own story of development, email: podcast@human-syner
222 - A Tool For Team decision Making
How many of the biggest decisions are made in teams? Almost all of them... but do we have an approach and practice effective decision making? Corrine Canter shares her tips
221 - Cam Aitken - DOING Constructive, But I Didn't See It
"Others saw me as a Constructive leader, but when I looked in the mirror, I saw a completely different Person." - Cam Aitken shares his LSI story
220 - Gamification (And How To Use It)
Neil McGregor shares how he uses Gamification as an effective way of teaching - and how you can too
219 - CLEAR Leadership - Practical Tips
Corinne shares 5 practical tips for leaders to be more effective: Clarity. Listen. Engage & Empathize. Address issues early. Recognise effort as well as results.
218 - Hyper Personalisation Of The Workplace
How do we design the workplace of the future? What will AI mean for workplaces? How will we use data to make smarter decisions. Darren Levi shares his thoughts
217 - Leader Bite: Darren Sutton - Associate Director, HealthShare NSW
Darren shares his LSI story across 8 measures, 21 years, and multiple organisations. Darren is the Associate Director, Customer Services, Partnerships & Projects, at HealthShare NSW
216 - Using the New LSI+ In A Debrief
Corinne Canter shares how she has been using the new LSI+ narratives as part of her debriefing and coaching practice.
215 - Leader Bite: David Walker - Former Naval Aviator, Consultant
Leadership lessons learnt from the cockpit: Perfecting but not perfect, empowering people, having honest assessments, listening. David is a former Naval Aviator and now Consultant at purplecomms.com.au
214 - How To Be Your Best Self
Setting yourself up for success (and recognising when you're not)
Join us at this year's Culture and Leadership conference in Sydney and Melbourne: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/conference-2024/
213 - How Job Seekers Can Get An Insight To Culture
People say how important culture is in the company they work for. But how do you know when you're a job seeker? We share some tips!
Join us at our Annual Culture and Leadership Conference: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/conference-2024/
212 - Common Pitfalls Of Teams (and How To Overcome)
DB shares the traps he sees teams get themselves into - and how to get out.
Join us at our Annual Culture and Leadership Conference:https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/conference-2024/
211 - Rob Murray - Boards Need To Measure Culture
Rob Murray - former CEO of Lion Nathan, Chairman of the Board at Metcash and ARN. Speaking at our 2017 Culture and Leadership Conference.
Register for this year's conference at: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/conference-2024/
210 - Bring Back Team Development
We make the case for why every organistion should be developing their teams to be more effective at making decisions and solving problems
209 - Tips To Shift Dependent, Oppositional, Self-Actualising
Sometimes small tweaks can make a big different. Ash shares some practical tips to shift Dependent, Oppositional and Self-Actualising
208 - Having The 'You're Not Performing' Conversation
Corinne shares her 5 stages of the 'You're Not Performing Conversation'.
207 - LSI Group Debrief
Facilitating a Group Debrief of the LSI - the how to watch outs
206 - 'Managing Up' Dirty Word Or Necessary Skill
The term 'Managing Up' can have negative connotations for some... but how would you do it from a Constructive lens? We answer a listener's question
205 - Creating And Sustaining Change
Often Culture programs start with a ton of energy... but how do you sustain it over time?
1 - Know where you are and where you're going
2 - Know what your key priorities/actions are (Focus)
3 - Check in on whether you're still on the path
4 - Have a coalition
5 - Build excitement and energy
6 - Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
7 - Leaders (and clear expectations of them)
8 - Celebrate along
204 - Put Culture On Your Radar
If you haven't yet... then this year (and here's why)
203 - Introducing: LSI +
LSI + adds a personalised narrative of your LSI results. Paired with a debrief from an Accredited Practitioner, the LSI + enriches the developmental journey.
Learn more and join our Professional Development Events here: https://bit.ly/LSI-plus
202 - Handing Over Coaching To Their Leader
Don't let the LSI development walk out the door with the coach. How to hand over ongoing development discussions with the manager
201 - D&I From A Culture Lens
Can 'D' overshadow the 'I' in D&I? What does it mean to be truly inclusive? What does it mean for culture?
Question from a listener: I find it’s easy to let ‘D’ be the focus so people are all about the structures and reinforcers and less about the “what would it look like if we were truly inclusive” - I’m a big believer that exclusion feels like exclusion to everyone rather than “let’s include th
200 - Ash Smith's Journey And Leadership Lessons Learnt
Ash shares how he grew up, different jobs he had, and the lessons he learnt along the way
199 - Time To Re-Test Your LSI
The LSI is that it isn't set in stone. We want to get insights and take action. Has your LSI shifted? It might be time to find out.
032 - Blue Year's Resolutions [Rebroadcast]
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This is a rebroadcast of an old episode on setting goals for the new year. We'll be back with more great episodes in 2024! Thanks for all your support!
198 - Ash's Book Recommendations
Ash Smith shares two of his most recommended books to clients and how they relate to the Circumplex and what we do. The Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, and Time to Think by Nancy Kline
197 - Culture Actions: Communication
Communication up, down, and for learning. We discuss what you can do to send a constructive message.
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Report by Robert A. Cooke, Janet L.
196 - Culture Actions: Job Design
What is the motivational potential of jobs in your team? If they lack autonomy, feedback, variety... they'll be detracting from Achievement
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedba
193 - Culture Actions: Reinforcement Systems
How to shape culture using rewards, punishment, and appraisal systems
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Report by Robert A. Cooke, Janet L. Szumal, and Jessica D. Cooke, C
195 - Culture Actions: Goal Systems
Done right, goals can reinforce Achievement and Self Actualising expectations. Done poorly - they drive Passive and Aggressive styles.
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Re
194 - Culture Actions: HR Systems
Shaping culture with Selection and placement, training and development, respect for members
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Report by Robert A. Cooke, Janet L. Szumal, a
192 - Culture Actions: Structures
We talk about how Structures affect Culture and what actions you could take.
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Report by Robert A. Cooke, Janet L. Szumal, and Jessica D. C
191 - Culture Actions: Mission
Tips of what to think about and things you can do to improve the Articulation of Mission Causal Factor
Do you have a question you'd like us to answer? Email: podcast@human-synergistics.com.au
The “How Culture Works” model and other materials presented in this podcast are from the Organizational Culture Inventory®/Organizational Effectiveness Inventory™ Feedback Report by Robert A. Cooke, Janet L
190 - 7 Tips To Navigate The 'Groan Zone' In Team Discussions
All teams inevitably hit an impasse during decision making discussions. These are 7 awesome tips to break the impasse and move forwards.
Join us at this year's Culture and Leadership Conference: https://www.human-synergistics.com.au/conference2023
189 - 5 Mistakes New Managers Make
We review this article from Harvard Business Review on 5 Mistakes New Managers Make: https://hbr.org/2023/05/5-mistakes-new-managers-make?tpcc=orgsocial_edit&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
