How to Reflect and Celebrate Your Culture
- Tom Iselin
- Mar 20, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
This blog and video provide an overview of the importance of reflecting a culture in the workplace and boardroom, and making time to celebrate a culture the organization has worked so hard to adopt.
How to Reflect and Celebrate Your Culture
So, you’ve written a culture statement that captures the essence of your culture—and you’ve decided to adopt it. Great.
But now comes the real question: How are you reflecting it?
Is Your Culture Visible and Alive?
Let’s say you’ve defined your board culture as one rooted in work, excellence, accountability, and teamwork. That sounds great on paper—but how is that culture showing up in real life?
If I walked into your board meeting, how would I see that culture in action?
In the way people speak to one another
In how meetings are run
In how decisions are made
In the policies you enforce
In how board members behave when no one is watching
A culture only matters if it’s visible, audible, and behavioral.
Authenticity Is Non-Negotiable
If a board is serious about adopting a culture, it must be authentic in how it reflects that culture. Culture isn’t defined by what you say—it’s defined by what you do.
Take time to regularly check in and ask:
Are we reflecting the culture we defined?
Where are we falling short?
What could we do better to live out our values?
When you can consistently see and hear your culture manifested in people’s words, actions, and work, you’ll know it’s alive and well.
Culture Is as Important as Mission and Vision
Your culture is just as important as your mission and vision.
Mission tells people what you do.
Vision tells people where you’re going.
Culture tells people who you are, what you stand for, and what you believe.
Defining a culture takes effort. But nurturing it, reinforcing it, and keeping it front and center takes even more work—which is exactly why culture must be intentionally celebrated.
Why Celebrating Culture Matters
Celebrating your culture reinforces the ethos that binds hearts, minds, and actions together in pursuit of a common purpose. It creates pride, belonging, and shared ownership.
And the good news? Celebrating culture doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming.
Simple Ways to Celebrate Your Culture
Here are just a few easy and effective ideas:
Host a social gathering for staff, board members, and volunteers
Recognize a team that best modeled your culture
Give an award for an idea that strengthened the culture
Create a “culture appreciation day”
Publicly acknowledge behaviors that reflect your values
The specifics matter less than the intention. What matters most is taking time to celebrate the essence of what unites the people who care deeply about your mission.
Takeaways
A culture statement only matters if it’s reflected in daily behavior.
Culture must be visible in how people work, speak, and lead.
Regular reflection helps identify gaps between stated values and actual behavior.
Culture is just as critical as mission and vision.
Celebrating culture reinforces pride, unity, and shared purpose.
Simple, intentional celebrations keep culture alive and meaningful.
Summary
Defining a culture is only the beginning. For culture to matter, it must be authentically reflected in behavior, reinforced through regular reflection, and celebrated intentionally. When leaders and teams actively live and honor the values they’ve chosen, culture becomes a powerful force that unites people, strengthens performance, and fuels mission success. A living culture doesn’t just exist—it’s seen, felt, and celebrated.
Tom Iselin
Rated One of America’s Best Board Retreat
and Strategic Planning Facilitators
About the Author
Tom Iselin is recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on high-performance nonprofits. He has built nine sector-leading nonprofits and two software companies, written six books, sits on multiple boards, and has been rated one of America’s Best Board Retreat and Strategic Planning Facilitators. His work on nonprofit strategy, board leadership, and culture has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and in Newsweek.
Tom is the president of First Things First, a firm specializing in board retreats, strategic planning services, fundraising strategy, and executive coaching for nonprofit CEOs.
Board Retreats & Strategic Planning
If you’re looking for a board retreat facilitator or strategic planning facilitator who has been in the trenches and understands real-world nonprofit challenges, Tom can help your board gain clarity, build alignment, and create an actionable plan that improves performance and impact. His sessions propel organizations to the next level of performance and impact . . . and they're fun!
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