6 Tips for Fostering a Positive Company Culture

Company culture is one of those things leaders constantly talk about, yet many struggle to define in practical terms. It’s easy to point to perks, mission statements, or offsites, but those rarely determine how people actually feel at work. Culture is shaped much more quietly, through everyday behaviors, communication norms, and the signals leaders send about what truly matters.

At Founder Reports, we’ve found that the healthiest cultures are rarely the loudest or most performative. They’re built through small, repeatable actions that make people feel safe, informed, and respected. When teams trust one another and understand the “why” behind decisions, collaboration becomes easier, accountability feels fair, and momentum follows naturally.

In this article, founders and executives from a range of industries share specific practices they’ve used to foster positive company cultures inside their own organizations. Together, they offer a grounded look at how culture is actually built, one decision and one conversation at a time.

1. Normalize Safety and Honest Contribution

The most powerful thing I have ever done to build a positive culture is set the expectation that people can show up as themselves without having to prove their worth every day. When people feel safe, they contribute more openly, they take healthy risks, and they support each other without being asked.

In our remote-first team, this shows up in how we communicate. We normalize clarity instead of perfection. We make space for life to exist alongside work. We acknowledge wins often, not just at milestone moments. These small habits shape how people treat one another and how they treat themselves.

Culture is not built during a retreat. It is built in the everyday moments. A positive culture grows when leaders model grace, accountability, and honesty in equal measure. When people trust the environment, they bring their best energy to it.

Alysha M. Campbell, Founder and CEO, CultureShift HR

2. Send Friday Clarity Notes

A practice that has significantly impacted my company culture is a straightforward method I refer to as “Friday Clarity Notes.” Every Friday, I send a brief note to the whole team that emphasizes three points: our accomplishments for the week, the lessons we’ve learned, and the adjustments we need to make for the upcoming week.

It takes fifteen minutes of my time, but it sets the tone for the whole team. Employees understand the company’s direction, recognize how their efforts relate to tangible results, and feel at ease voicing concerns when issues arise. It fosters transparency without introducing cumbersome processes or meetings.

This has led to a more stable and optimistic culture. Individuals feel valued when leaders transparently provide context, which motivates them to express their thoughts or worries sooner. 

Aditya Nagpal, Founder & CEO, Wisemonk

3. Hold Weekly Cross-Functional Growth Huddles

One thing that’s worked really well for us is keeping a consistent rhythm of weekly, cross-functional “Growth Meetings.” Nothing fancy, just everyone in the same room (or Google Meets) looking at the same numbers and bringing one idea that could move our north-star metric.

What makes it work is the simplicity. There’s no big presentation, no hierarchy, no long monologue. If you bring an idea, you own the test, ship it, and report back next week. Sometimes it works; sometimes it flops; I openly share my own bad calls too, but that’s the point. It builds trust.

And honestly, that transparency wipes out a lot of the usual startup tension. When people can see the real data for themselves, there’s no guessing, no politics, no “Why are we doing this?” Everyone understands the mission and feels part of it.

The best part is the culture it naturally creates. People feel safe speaking up because they know they won’t get punished for trying. They bring more energy, more ideas, and more ownership. It’s been one of the simplest things we’ve done, but easily one of the most impactful for keeping the team aligned and motivated.

Louis Ducruet, Founder and CEO, Eprezto

4. Invite Early Observations Over Polished Opinions

One practice that has shaped our culture more than anything else is giving people psychological permission to speak early and not perfectly.

In most teams, people wait until they have a “fully formed answer.” The silence feels harmless at first, but eventually it becomes the culture, where only polished ideas are welcome.

But we flipped that dynamic. In every meeting, we start with one question:

“What are you seeing that the rest of us might be missing?”

The wording matters, as it invites observations, not polished opinions. And it works because people feel safe offering unfinished thoughts. When teams speak early, you get and leverage the following:

• Faster innovation: A junior analyst once mentioned a “weird customer pattern” she saw; that unfinished thought led to a full-scale churn-reduction project.
• Cleaner problem-solving: In one roadmap review, an engineer’s quick observation helped us avoid a multi-week misalignment.
• Stronger commitment: Teams were more invested in our new workflow rollout because their early feedback shaped it.

Thus, culture is built in the moments when people decide whether they can show up as themselves while being unsure, curious, honest, and still be valued.

Asad Mirza, President & CEO, ContactPoint 360

5. Adopt Async Updates and Build Days

One of the best things we did for culture was giving people more trust and time to think. We cut daily check-ins and replaced them with async updates so everyone can focus without interruption.

Each team shares what they did, what’s next, and any blockers in one shared format, and I use AI to pull it all together across Gmail, Discord, and project tools.

At the same time, we launched Build Days. Every other Saturday, people pick one annoying task, automate a part of it, and demo it by 5 p.m. No pressure, just creative play.

By Monday, there are fewer manual tasks, more real progress, and a steady flow of small wins that make work feel lighter. It’s practical innovation that builds confidence, ownership, and calm momentum. That’s exactly what a positive culture should feel like.

Mayur Toshniwal, Co-Founder and Partner, Qubit Capital

6. Host Small Group Two-Way Dialogs

One practice that’s had a real impact on our culture is creating space for open, two-way conversations instead of top-down communication. Every week, I sit with small groups from across the team, production, design, operations to hear what’s working and what’s getting in their way. These aren’t performance check-ins; they’re genuine discussions where everyone can speak freely.

This simple routine has helped people feel heard, strengthened trust, and surfaced small issues long before they become bigger problems. Many leaders reinforce this sense of trust and shared responsibility by recognizing contributions in meaningful, locally crafted ways, such as Custom Wood Awards (Made in Canada) that reflect both team values and craftsmanship.

It’s also led to smarter decisions, because the best insights often come from the people closest to the work. Over time, this approach has shaped a culture where honesty, ownership, and shared responsibility come naturally.

Simon Elliott, Founder & Operations Director, CLIFTON