Even if you haven’t heard of culture creep before, the chances are you have felt it. It’s that indescribable feeling that something in the fabric of someone or something’s identity is changing. While it may sound like the title of a scary movie, it’s a common phenomenon—the consequence of not listening to employees.

Culture creep is often the result of changes in leadership or processes that don’t necessarily have an immediate impact but over time saps the energy away. A once vibrant and strong culture can fall victim to culture creep if concerns and issues go unresolved. It often manifests itself as an uptick in turnover and a decrease in morale.

Anyone who has worked for both a bad company and a great company can tell you that there are clear differences in how people interact, how the work gets done, and the level of understanding and connection staff have with leadership. It’s an idea that we should all subscribe to: the stronger the culture the more we enjoy work. But what many don’t realize is that it’s a thin line between the two.

It doesn’t take much for a once strong and sustainable culture to flip upside down. All it takes is one bad decision for negativity to start seeping through the cracks of the walls. This should not come as a surprise since culture is really about relationships and at the core of every relationship is trust. Once trust is lost, the fragility of the relationship is on full display.

So, what can be done to avoid the seeming inevitability of culture creep? Well, at least in theory, it is much simpler than one might think. Listening through action.

Stop culture creep in its tracks by listening through action.

Listening through action is the process of listening first and then taking action to make positive changes. Simple. Right? There’s just one problem. Not every concern can be addressed, and not all changes can be made. That’s why so many organizations shy away from active listening campaigns and initiatives. They don’t want to find themselves in a situation where the expectation is that action will be taken whenever someone is unhappy.

Just because employees are upset about a change or decision doesn’t mean the company has to walk it back. In fact, most people understand that businesses must make tough decisions. That’s why listening through action is much more manageable than we often think but there is one catch…listening without action will fuel culture creep, not stop it.

Imagine a friend who always shares their dilemmas with you and asks for your opinions and thoughts. Time after time, like the good friend you are, you give your genuine feedback, but time after time this friend doesn’t heed your advice. How would you feel? Probably like your opinion isn’t valued even though they are asking for it.

Surprisingly, this is what many organizations do. They know it’s best practice to conduct surveys, so they do it. They say they want your feedback around every corner, yet it feels like nothing actually changes. As a result, over time, what happens? You stop wanting to give it and the negative talk starts. “They won’t do anything anyways.” Or “Nothing ever changes here regardless”.

Sadly, this is not a unique situation, and it affects many organizations that have every good intention in implementing a listening channel. Many of them take the feedback received very seriously too but lack the ability to respond appropriately, especially when they perceive that feedback as unreasonable.

Often, an organization will try to find small wins and implement a new policy or benefit they feel will land well with employees. They will tout this change as a form of encouragement to keep giving feedback because look what your feedback led to like “You spoke. We listened.”. However, that same organization will then be perplexed when perhaps the change didn’t have the intended impact on engagement.

When this approach becomes a continuous loop, it can undermine the culture of the workplace, allowing negativity to creep in. So, what then is a reasonable action to take with feedback received?

What’s a reasonable action?

Before going into what a reasonable action is, let’s break it down. Who gets to decide what is reasonable? The CEO? HR? Shareholders? The employees? Well, the truth is, that determining what is reasonable in any situation is highly subjective and certainly not up to any one person or group to decide. Luckily, reasonability for quantifiable measures is far more manageable. Using benchmarks and industry standards to guide decisions to ensure reasonability is key but not all feedback is quantifiable.

The beauty of listening through action is that it doesn’t mean everyone’s wishes get granted. It just means there is understanding and acknowledgment. If something is not reasonable, whether it be due to a lack of resources or business need, the important part of the process is to address it with transparency.

Just like anyone, the top brass at a company are human beings. We are all fallible and tend to overthink things. Organizations frequently choose not to address certain changes or issues because they fear doing so will have negative consequences. Instead, choosing to provide a carefully crafted message rather than expose any vulnerabilities.

Listening through action is the most effective way to eliminate culture creep. Take measurable actions, offer solutions where possible, and provide transparent feedback to concerns that don’t have a quick fix. This type of two-way communication is the foundation for a high-trust environment.

Culture creep doesn’t have to be the workplace boogeyman whenever changes occur. Be ready and willing to listen but, more importantly, be receptive to hearing that feedback and take action.