The Power of Culture Clubs: How to Put Company Values into Action

Culture isn’t just about what’s written on the wall—it’s what gets lived every day in real conversations, decisions, and behaviors across all levels of an organisation. Yet, we’ve all seen too many beautifully framed mission statements that are completely disconnected from what it’s actually like to work there.

If you want culture to be more than words, you’ve got to make it intentional.

Enter the “Culture Club.”

No, not the ‘80s band. We’re talking about an internal, cross-functional group dedicated to actively reinforcing, celebrating, and evolving your company’s values and culture every day. Done right, a Culture Club becomes the connective tissue between leadership intent and frontline experience—ensuring that your core values show up in real and concrete ways.

Let’s explore how high-performing organisations like Southwest Airlines and others have institutionalised this idea—and how you can do it too.

What Is a Culture Club?

A Culture Club is a grassroots initiative made up of passionate employees from across departments and functions. Their mission? To preserve and promote the organisation's core values, drive employee engagement, and act as a cultural heartbeat within the business.

Unlike HR—which owns policies—or Comms—which drives messaging—the Culture Club operates across functions with one clear mandate: keep the culture alive, evolving, and aligned with company values.

What Culture Clubs Actually Do

Culture Clubs can take many forms depending on the size and structure of the company, but here are a few key roles they play:

• Design and deliver events that align with company values
• Celebrate value-driven behaviors through shout-outs, rewards, or internal storytelling
• Onboard new hires through culture immersion activities
• Serve as an early warning system when cultural drift starts to happen
• Collect feedback from across departments and channels
• Partner with HR and leadership to ensure programs are inclusive and values-based

Case in Point: Southwest Airlines

You want iconic culture? Cue Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. Legendary for their fun, upbeat culture rooted in “LUV,” Southwest has long credited their Culture Committee (their version of a Culture Club) as a key contributor to employee satisfaction and service excellence.

Here’s how it works:

• The Culture Committee is made up of cross-departmental volunteers—from pilots to gate agents—tasked with creating and sustaining the "Southwest Spirit."
• They organize milestone moments like "Spirit Parties" and “gratitude blitzes” across airport hubs.
• Crucially, they operate with full buy-in from senior leadership. Executive leaders even participate directly in events and committee work.

The result? Southwest continues to rank among the top airlines in Glassdoor reviews, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement—despite the operational turmoil that plagues much of the aviation industry.

Culture Club in Action: Practical Playbook

Want to start (or uplevel) your Culture Club? Here’s a 5-step framework to get it right:

1. Recruit Your Culture Advocates
   Invite a mix of volunteers who reflect diverse functions, locations, and voices across the org. Don’t just go for the usual suspects.
2. Define Your Mission & Charter
   Clarify your Culture Club’s “why.” Are you there to bring values to life? Improve belonging? Facilitate feedback? Your Club should have a clear operating rhythm and reporting structure.
3. Get Leadership Sponsorship
   Culture Clubs flourish when execs listen, participate, and endorse club initiatives. Consider designating an executive sponsor for traction and visibility.
4. Build Value-Aligned Initiatives
   Plan monthly or quarterly cultural moments that reinforce your values—be it events, awards, listening sessions, or internal storyspotlights.
5. Track & Share Outcomes
   Show the business impact. Track participation, pulse feedback, recognition rates, and stories that emerge. This builds credibility and influence for the Club itself.

Final Thoughts

Your values aren’t one-time workshops or beautifully written documents—they’re lived behaviors. They show up in how you make decisions, celebrate wins, resolve conflicts, hire (or fire), and build community.

Culture is what you celebrate, what you tolerate, and what you repeat.

Culture Clubs provide the structure and energy to make your values actionable—not just aspirational. They give voice to the people who care deeply about the kind of organization you’re becoming.

In a scaling company, the flywheel effect starts with aligned People and strong Culture. A Culture Club can be the spark.

Are you ready to breathe life into your values? As a Scaling Up coach and corporate retreat facilitator, I’ve seen firsthand how Culture Clubs can turn inertia into momentum.

Book a call and let’s explore how to align People with Purpose—because culture doesn’t scale on its own!